Monster, Weapon, Mine
by AgentAW
Summary: Haunted by memories of his past, Bucky find himself drawn to one in particular. Not of a tormentor but of someone like him. It's just a glimmer of light in his dark head but with the help of the Avengers, Bucky sets out to find the woman. He assumes it will be difficult when the only thing he can remember about her is her name. X-23.
1. Chapter 1: Warmth in Winter

**_AN:_** **Welcome to another beginning. Just wanted to start off by stating my undying love for the Weapon X character group and most importantly X23. So it was only natural that I'd write her in with the beloved Avengers. Plus X23 was just officially confirmed for wolverine 3 so the timing is perfect. However, I will state this right now, I'm not a comic nerd. I wish to god that I was but I just don't have the time and/or money. However, I am a research nerd especially when it comes to Marvel, so all of my knowledge of X23 is coming from online research.**

 **Obviously I'm using an older version of X23 than the one in the "Logan" trailer. And there is other things from X23's canon past that I'm ignoring but that's not important at the moment.**

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 **This story takes place a couple of months after the events of Captain America 2: TWS and changes the plot after that point so we aren't heading for Avengers 2: AOU or Captain America 3: CW, Mostly because my heart canny take it! :'(**

 ** _Chapter 1_** _ **\- Warmth in Winter**_

 _The mission file had been memorized so the asset was somewhat confused as to why it was currently being escorted through the base. The Asset didn't think this was the way to transport but it wasn't completely sure._

 _All it knew was that the target was Fernando Luiz Acosta, a drug lord whose currently location was Belem, Brazil. His exact address was detailed in the file but the Asset decided to store that info for its arrival in South America. It's Mission: eliminate._

 _The Asset's attention focused onto the grey corridor its Handler was leading it down. Agent Kaprov was a tall man who got down to business. His job was to give it missions when it was activated. The Asset matched Agent Kaprov's pace as they thundered down the cold corridor._

 _It was always cold in Home Base which always made The Asset feel…Something. Its attention returned to the corridor ahead as its Handler turned a corner into another particularly empty corridor. Home Base was mostly unpopulated so only a handful of Agents were stationed in the compound. Which is why The Asset actually felt cautious when its vision landed on two unknowns stand directly in the Handler's path._

 _One, a rather old man with a salt and pepper beard and bald head, was most likely an on-sight Doctor. If his white lab coat and brown trousers hadn't given it away then the name badge clipped onto his shirt pocket confirmed that this was indeed a doctor of some kind. However it was the second person who set the Asset on edge._

 _Her very presence was like some kind of warning which was strange due to how short she was. Almost every observation it made suggested that this girl wasn't a threat. She looked to be about 3 inches shorter than the Asset and appeared to be young around 17 or 18 years old. The Asset's thought halted as the Handler did._

 _The two stood 3 feet from the Doctor and girl. "_ _Солдат, это жилье для следующих 2 недель. Вы доложит здесь по возвращении, понял?_ _(Soldier, this is accommodation for next 2 weeks. You will report back here upon return, understood?)" Agent Kaprov's expression remained stoic as he engaged the Asset in conversation._

 _The Asset nodded firmly,"_ _Да сэр (_ _Yes, sir)". The Asset's eyes snapped to the door it stood closes to it, memorizing it. It made a note to memorize the route from transport to the door. It had begun to become anxious as it wondered when the Doctor or girl would speak._

 _"_ _Agent Kaprov" The Doctor addressed its Handler, his lips tugging upward. "_ _Она очищается для выполнения обязанностей_ _(She is cleared for duty)"._

 _"_ _хорошо_ _(Good)" Kaprov's eyes went to the girl and the Asset's followed. Its Handler smirked, "_ _Солдат встретить X23, она будет сопровождать на миссии Акоста_ _(Soldier meet X23, she will accompany on the Acosta Mission)". No explanation was given and the Asset knew better than to ask for one._

 _The Asset appraised the girl, X23, again wondering how capable she was. Her arms were slim but clenching fists revealed muscles hidden under porcelain skin. Black hair was cut just above her shoulders for practicality but her clothes left her stomach and arms exposed and unprotected. Overall her appearance was underwhelming but then the Asset locked eyes with her. Her face was emotionless and cold but in her sharp green eyes was anger. A rage, like none it had seen before, simmered inside her and her eyes were the window to the show._

 _"_ _X23 вы только для поражения противника, если вы_ _(X23 you are only to engage the enemy if you are instructed to.)" The Handler's voice was cold as he ordered the woman and the Asset watched as her fists clenched almost unnoticeably. "_ _Эта миссия припой, вы повторно подкреплений, Понял?_ _(This mission is The Solder's, you are re-enforcements, Understood?"_

 _The piercing green eyes sparked with electricity as her jaw clenched. "_ _Да сэр_ _(Yes, sir)" she echoes back, her Russian flawless which startles the Asset slightly. Her features suggested some form of Asian heritage and it could hear from very slight changes in pronunciation that Russian was not her first language. However something else about her voice struck a nerve but it couldn't place the feeling._

 _Agent Kaprov gave a grunt of acknowledgment before nodding to The Doctor who return the gesture before walking of the way The Asset had just come from. There was a beat of silence before the next order came "_ _следовать_ _(Follow)"._

 _Almost automatically the Asset started to follow keeping next to its Handler. So focused on this task, it was only after a couple of steps that the Asset realized that X23 was following as well. She kept up with the fast paced march, which was surprising due to how she was in fact shorter than them. The march was in silence and the Asset found itself instinctively going over the mission file in his head. It wondered why he now had re-enforcements._

 _It was perfectly capable of completing the mission. It was in full working order but it did remember that the file had stated that Acosta would have bodyguards as the man was known to be fairly paranoid. However it doubted they would be able to overpower it and even if they did it didn't see how X23 could hold them off if he couldn't._

 _Seeing their approach two guards opened the doors, allowing them to enter the hanger swiftly. The runway was fairly quiet. The base being extremely remote meant that not much air traffic passed through. Really the only person of importance in the room was the Pilot who stood at attention next to their plane. Agent Kaprov stayed standing in front of the door and the Asset stood with him, waiting for his orders. Its eyes quickly snapped from the open hanger to X23, taking in her stance. Her arms remained by her sides but her hands were no longer balled into fists. They stayed flat and relaxed but her wrists were locked. She looked at ease but she was clearly ready if they were going to be attacked. Her feet were evenly placed, making it easy to get into a defensive position quickly. "_ _Удачи, солдат_ _(Good Luck, Soldier)" The Asset's body went into auto pilot, walking toward the plane as its eyes stayed on the girl. She moved at the same time it did, stepping slightly ahead of it. She moved with purpose but at the same time there was a grace to her steps._

 _They got strapped into their seats in silence as the plane fired up. It watched her as her thin fingered rubbed circles into her palms. 'Nervous tick' it noted, tilting its head curiously._

 _"_ _Солдат_ _(Soldier)" her voice shocked it, blue eyes snapped up to meet green. She remained silent just staring at it, face completely blank forcing it to hide its confusion._

 _"_ _Да_ _(Yes)" The Asset didn't know how to address her. Was she its superior or not? Would it be punished for addressing her wrong?_

 _She still stayed quiet, her green eyes cold and dissecting. "Agent Kaprov_ _будет у вас занят в течение следующих двух недель_ _(Agent Kaprov will have you busy over the next two weeks)" Her voice didn't match the emotion she showed. Her words were slow and precise. It was factual but not authoritative and definitely not cold. "_ _Мы будем видеть много друг друга_ _(We will be seeing a lot of each other)"._

 _The Asset felt perplexed by X23. It couldn't figure out where she stood or why she was there. She seemed different to other Agents. She initiated conversation and informed it of information that the Asset didn't need to know. Many questions ran through its head before they all melted away. The most important one remained. "_ _Как я должен обратиться к вам?_ _(How should I address you?)"_

 _It must have done something wrong because X23's lips tugged upward at the corners. She smiled. "_ _Позвоните мне 'X', Winter_ _(Call me 'X', Winter)" Her head turned away to stare out the plane window but it still picked up on the warm smile in her voice. Maybe it did something right?_

 _The early morning light shining through the windows flickered slightly, putting it on alert. What was happening? X23 didn't react to it. Was he imagining it? Wait… His mind began to be lifted from the hazed as the light became brighter and brighter until he could no longer make out the woman or any of his surroundings. Images played out in front of his eyes but his mind refused to focus on them. It felt like he was moving at a million miles per hour. A pain gradually grew in his brain as the pictures flashed by. The more he tried to concentrate on them the faster the pain grew. He squeezed his eyes close, teeth grinding together as he grunted at the agony._

His eyes snapped open, chest heaving as he lay in his bed. Bucky's mind settled from the chaos it had just injured and started to remember where it was.

He blinked, staring at the white ceiling. It reminded him that he wasn't in Siberia, in its concrete box of a room.

No, this was Stark Tower, named after Steve's friend. His thinking was confirmed as his eyes traveled down the cream coloured wall and onto concerned blue eyes.

"Buck?" Steve's voice held the usual worry but seemed confused as well, as the blonde sat a metre away from his bed.

The moment Bucky heard Steve's voice, he knew something was wrong.

Why was Steve confused?

It wasn't like nightmares were a new thing for Bucky. They happened quite frequently and he could never really remember what they were about when he woke up but he always managed to wake Steve.

He sat up quickly taking in his surrounding again. Did he miss something? As soon as he was upright he felt something touching his top lip.

Metal fingers reached up instinctively, trying to brush away whatever was on his cheek. His arm pulled away, allowing him to see his hand.

Bucky's blue eyes went from wary to straight up confused. Shifting his fingers, he could clearly see the wetness from the tears on his cheeks.

He stared past his hand, taking in his bed without any covers on. The physical evidence suggested that it was a very violent nightmare but Bucky didn't understand why.

His metal hand moved to pull his hair away from his face as he tried to focus on the dream. 'Memory' his mind correct as it recall the plane. Images of a smiling black haired girl appear at the forefront of his mind, reminding him almost exactly what happened.

But it was just that… A dream. Not a nightmare. So why was his sheets kicked off? Why was Steve there and why had he been crying?

"Bucky?" Steve's voice startled him, eyes snapping open to see that the buff blonde had breached the 1 metre gap to sit on the bed with him. The 1 metre gap had been Bucky's idea after Steve stupidly tried to calm him during a bad nightmare and got a black eye as a reward.

The mattress shifted as his friend sat, worry and concern plaguing his features. "You okay?" Bucky thought the question stupid but he was not ignorant to the masked confusion in Steve's voice.

"What happened?" Bucky's groggy voice made him pause. It was far too common for him to wake up with his vocal cords burning from yelling in his sleep but the familiar hoarseness was nowhere in sight. So how had he managed to wake Steve?

Steve looked at his old friend strangely. This wasn't how this scenario usually played out and it was really beginning to worry the Captain. "You were thrashing around, you looked really…upset". Steve didn't quite know how to describe his friend's condition. He hadn't looked to be in pain or at least not the pain he was usually in when he dreamed of what they did to him. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Bucky just sat in thought. He didn't understand. From the sounds of it his reactions had been considerable better than previous experiences but why did he have any physical reactions? The parts of his dream that he could remember weren't that bad, some were even pleasant. The mysterious Woman's smile flashed in his mind eye, bring a small smile to his lips and confusing the hell out of Steve. The smile fell quickly, however. There were parts that Bucky couldn't remember. Memories at the end of his dream that he couldn't recall and a small pit of fear began to form in his stomach. Whatever those memories were they could be behind his reactions and that worried him. What had he done? Green eyes with rage boiling under the surface pierced through his thoughts. What happened to her? What happened on their mission? She held warmth in her memory, she was different. Not like the monsters who tortured him. She was…human so why did she have no name? She only had a number. "X23".

"What?" Once again Steve's voice disrupted him and Bucky realized he'd probably said something out loud. He looked up meeting the blonde's gaze.

Something in Bucky's stare frightened Steve. It wasn't murder or brokenness but determination and a part of Steve was scarred of what that could mean. A spark of confusion appear in Buck's eyes, making Steve focused on the next words out of the ex-assassin's mouth.

"She called me 'Winter'".

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 ** _AN:_ Hope you enjoyed it. Remember to faved, follow and review. Feedback is life. Next chapter will be up next week.**


	2. Chapter 2: A New Struggle

**_AN: _ Happy Halloween! slightly wish that this chapter was spooky themed but unfortunately I'm not that organised. Hope everyone is doing something fun on this important holiday, whether that be trick-or-treating or ****worshiping Satan. Personally I'll be spending the holiday writing and re-watching Jessica Jones because I just finished Luke Cage and Oh My God!**

 **Anyway it's time to meet the team :)**

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 ** _Chapter 2_** _ **–**_ _ **A New Struggle**_ ** _  
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"He's never told me about his nightmares before but this just seems to be weighing on him". Steve ran a hand through his damp hair as Natasha planted a cup of coffee in front of him.

They'd just finished their 10 o'clock sparring session early, due to how distracted he'd been but Natasha couldn't really blame him for his mind being elsewhere. "He didn't go running with me today and he's been acting distant since then." Steve heaved a sigh. Bucky had been staying at Stark tower for 5 months and he'd improved greatly in that time. Slowly but surely. The Nightmares were still a hurdle they had to cross but both Steve and Natasha had seen the ex-Soldier relax into his new surroundings."I'm scarred he's going to run, Nat" Hearing about his friend's pleasant nightmare hadn't put the Super Soldier at ease at all.

Sure, hearing that maybe someone had his friend's back all those years was like having a weight lifted from his chest. To some degree Steve was excited for him.

But Steve was uncomfortable with the idea of Bucky running away to chase after this ghost. He could relate to the want to know if this 'X' was alive but Bucky wasn't off Hydra's radar yet and probably never would be. Steve simply couldn't risk losing him.

Natasha hide the pity she felt for the man in front of her, behind her coffee cup. The past 5 months had been tough on all of them. Personally, it had taken her a while to truly trust the Winter Soldier but then again he had shot her. Everyone had struggled with it but no-one more than Steve, Bucky and of course Tony. She found it intriguing to watch the self-centered billionaire try to deal with the killer of his parents living under his roof.

Surprisingly Tony had managed not to attack the recovering man. At least not physically.

Snide remarks had made both Bucky and Steve's lives harder but slowly they fizzled into Tony's usual playful insults. Natasha had to admit his self-control had been impressive but she knew part of the credit was due to Pepper. "He won't go looking for her without a lead, he's not that stupid, Steve".

A third voice echoed into the conversation from the ceiling, causing Steve to jump a bit. "But he might go looking for a lead"

Natasha wasn't shocked, she realised he was hiding up there when they entered the kitchen.

The ventilation grate above the fridge slide open and Clint hopped out, first onto the top of the fridge, sliding off and landing on the counter before jumping onto the laminate floor. "You know Tony doesn't like you being up there" Steve gave Clint a disappointed glance before taking a gulp of coffee.

Clint merely shrugged "He's free to try and stop me". He opened the fridge, scavenging for food.

"But how easy would it be to find that lead, He could end up trailing halfway around the world for a ghost". Natasha got them back on topic, responding to Clint's point. "Bucky knows it could be a hit or miss."

"What could be a hit or miss?"

Steve sighed deeply as he heard two sets of shoes make their way into the kitchen from the living-room. 'So much for keeping it on the down low'.

Tony walked into the kitchen with Bruce by his side, having decided to come up for a break from the lab. Noticing Clint's presence Tony's eyes quickly flicked up to the vent grate above the fridge to see that it was open. Despite his annoyance he plastered on a classic Stark smile. He'd get him later.

"It's a long story, Tony" Steve sighed, not really wanting to explain it to the genius. Things were still sketchy between Buck and Tony. Steve doubted that dragging the entire team into Bucky's ghost issue was going to make Bucky ecstatic.

"Good thing I have time then" Tony grunted as he hopped up onto the stool next to Steve's, eyeing Bruce as he went to make himself a sage tea or something. Usually Tony would have steered clear of anything involving Bucky Barnes but he was intrigued. Mainly because most of Barnes's problems were dealt with between the two super Soldiers and Tony wondered what made this problem different.

Natasha gave Steve an apologetic smile. "Bucky's remembered something". Bucky was going to kill him.

Steve gave her a small glare as Stark responded. "Okay well good for him. You're right Cap that story was such a drag" Tony loved his sarcasm, it made almost all situations better. At least it did for him.

Bruce set his cup of tea down on the counter before take a seat next to Nat, looking just as invested in the conversation. "What's the problem, then?" Bruce asked giving Tony a small reprimanding look.

Steve rubbed soothing circle into his forehead before answering "To be more specific, He's remembered someone. They worked together, He even went as far as to suggest they were friends".

Bruce gave him an understanding smile with sympathy laced in it. "And you think he's going to run away, try and find his friend." It wasn't a question. Bruce couldn't claim to know Bucky well but he had a good understanding of Steve. This team meant a lot to him and it was something both Bruce and Steve had in common. The entire team knew that Steve was like a mother hen and it only made sense that he'd naturally mother Bucky more than the rest of them.

Steve gave a small nod but it was Tony who spoke up next. "Does this friend of his have a name?" In Tony's eyes Hydra wasn't exactly a great place to meet new people and make friends but he was always fascinated by the thought of more enhanced people and assassins being out there. Especially because almost half the people in the room were scientific masterpieces.

Steve shook his head "The only information he could remember was that she was some kind of re-enforcement and that the Hydra Agents called her 'X23'" Honestly, Bucky had seemed just as confused as Steve was. The Winter Soldier was efficient and effective so the thought that Hydra felt he needed backup was disturbing. Partly because it lead to the question of what kind of battlefields were they sending Bucky into, and partly because it lead to the question of exactly how dangerous was 'X23'.

"Ah, Bummer!" Tony mumbled. He thought Winter Soldier was a weird name to be stuck with but X23! What the hell did that even mean?

"I still stand by my point, Bucky's not going to just up and leave without knowing where to go" Natasha reintroduced what she'd said now that everyone was up to speed. She already sort of knew that she would struggle to reassure Steve when they started the conversation but now that the others had joined in, they collectively had a better chance.

"Plus, what's the odds that this girl's dead?" Clint pointed out between mouthfuls as he devoured a leftover chicken drumstick. He kicked the fridge door closed just as he got a response.

"It's possible"

Steve didn't have to turn around to realise how dead he was. With wary eyes he looked up at Natasha, receiving pure pity in return. He was so dead. "Buck?" Steve twisted to look at the man that everyone's eyes were trained on.

Bucky stood leaning against the door frame, looking like the personification of casual, with his plaid PJ bottoms still on. Despite his relaxed appearance Nat could see through the façade. She could see the small amount of tension in his shoulders but she didn't think it was anger. It was something else. "It's very possible that she's dead" Bucky continued paying no attention to Steve. "But if I knew her like I think I knew her, then she'll have survived".

"How can you be so sure?" It surprised everyone that Tony was the one to respond. "From the sounds of it, you barely remember anything about her". Having Barnes in the same room as him sent a small spark of anger through Tony but he suppressed it as best he could. Now wasn't the time.

Bucky seemed to think for a second and Natasha suddenly realised that the ex-assassin was actually apprehensive about talking to them about this. "What I remember is an introduction but I don't think it was the first time I met her"

"What makes you say that?" Bruce asked finding it strange to have Bucky talk about his memories. Strange but quite refreshing.

Bucky sighed softly, arms coming to rest at his sides. "The Agents, My handler, they always referred to me as 'Soldier' but when 'X' addressed me, she called me 'Winter'"

"But still what makes you think that she's alive" Clint questioned curiously, aiming the bone from the chicken drumstick at the bin and landing the shot perfectly. He would celebrate later.

Bucky took another second to think, his eyes finally meeting Steve's. However Steve was surprised not see no anger or disappointment in his gaze. Only an uncertainty that Steve knew all too well. He'd felt the same thing every day that he'd searched for Bucky. Not knowing if he was doing the right thing or if he was wasting his time. But with the uncertainty came the determination. "I don't know, the memory is short but she seemed resilient".

"Still they're millions of people out there and you don't even have a proper name, so I guess that's the end of that story". Tony's comment was harsher than he'd intended it to be but he felt it was a valid point. He still expected nothing less than Cap's best glare so he chose not to look at the blonde instead keeping his eyes on Barnes.

However Steve hadn't really been paying attention to whatever snarky comment Stark had made, instead he was having a conversation with Natasha completely through the medium of looks.

Natasha could easily see what Steve was trying to say. The look in his eye was one she thought she'd finally escaped from 5 months ago. That man's heart was outstanding and dumb…but mostly outstanding. She felt an overwhelming urge to sigh but pushed it back as her eyes lifted to Bucky's. "How well do you remember her?"

Her question actually caught Bucky off guard but he didn't let it show as he responded "Remember her how?"

A smirk stretched across her face. "Do you think you could describe how she looks to Steve?" All eyes were on her now, including Steve's who had some kind of idea of what she was up to.

Bucky hesitated "Yes". He didn't really understand the Widow's thinking but he had to admit if he wanted to find someone, she was probably the best person to talk to.

"What does that have to do with this?" Bruce questioned softly, staring at Nat curiously.

"Well, it's not really a secret that Cap's amazing at drawing". Natasha's smirk grew wider as she caught the small blush grace the Captain's cheeks. The sly smirk quickly turned into a sickly sweet one as her attention went to Stark. Tony turned a shade paler, knowing that he probably wasn't going to like whatever came out of her mouth next. "If the sketch is good enough, I'm sure Stark could hack into some databases and run it through. See if we can't find her."

There was silence, everyone waiting to see what Tony would do. Tony didn't even know what he wanted to do. Yes, he could do everything Nat had suggested. Yes, it could help find the mystery girl. Yes, a big (scientific) part of him did want to find the mystery girl. But did he really want to help Barnes? To a degree…Yes but Stark was above all else, stubborn. "I'd need search parameters. I can't search the entire world."

Stark's statement didn't faze Nat in the slightness. "Then I'll get on the phone to Fury. See if he hasn't heard of this 'X23'". Not really allowing anyone time to respond, Natasha stood up, clutching her coffee and proceeded to stride out of the room.

There an awkward silence that was left in her wake, no-one really knowing what to say. Some were still processing what was happening. The situation had escalated rapidly.

"Well, It looks like we've got a lot of work ahead of us" Clint spoke up, stretching to get rid of the stiffness from standing all that time. "I'll be down in the range if you need me" and with that Barton quickly climbed onto the worktop before jumping up onto the fridge and disappearing into the air vent.

Tony blinked back to reality just in time to see Clint's foot slip out of sight. He gritted his teeth, making a mental note to punish the archer somehow.

Letting his anger out with a sigh, Tony became aware that someone was staring at him. His first suspect was the good old Captain but Steve was just staring into his Coffee cup like he'd find the girl in there.

Of course, suspect number two was the amnesiac but the man was just staring off into space, probably lost in his thought.

Last but in no way least, was his beloved Science Bro. Tony's eyes met Bruce's as the scientist gave an expectant look. God! Doing the right thing was such a bother…

"Right! I'm off to the lab. See you down there, Brucie." Tony informed gaining the attention of the two super Soldiers as he made his way out of the kitchen and towards the elevator. "Call me when Itsy-bitsy is off the phone with Long John Silver"

Bruce didn't let the silence return as he got up and put his empty cup into the sink. He turned back around hoping to catch Steve's eye but caught Bucky's instead. Bruce's small smile was warm and his eyes encouraging. "Good luck"

Bucky nodded as a reply before watching Bruce make his way towards the elevator. Bucky turned back toward the kitchen with determination set in his eyes. He wasn't angry that Steve had told the other's about his memory.

If had wanted it kept a secret then he simply wouldn't have told Steve. Two can keep a secret if one of them is dead, kind of thing.

But he had told Steve, in the hope that maybe he could get some help. Bucky wasn't an idiot, he knew it could take years to find a ghost or worse, a grave. But this was the Avengers, Steve was Captain America and He used to be the Winter Soldier. If anyone had a chance at finding her sooner rather than later, it was them.

He had expected to find Steve still sitting on his stool with his back to him but Bucky was impressed to find the blonde over by the sink, pouring away the rest of his coffee. Steve could be really stealthy when he wanted to.

Steve watched the black liquid slip down the sink drain, signalling the start of a new chapter. A new struggle, A new search.

His eyes rose to the last person left in the room. A small smile tugged at his lips as Steve glanced at the determined scowl on Bucky's face. It was a scowl that Steve himself had worn many times since waking from the ice. The 21st century was full of struggles. Things he took for granted back in the 40's: Family, Friends, Love were hard to find in this day and age. It had been a fight to find a place he could call home. When learned that Bucky was alive, when he brought Bucky to the tower, Steve knew that Buck would have to fight, just the same as he had. But Steve would be damned if he was going to let his friend struggle by himself.

At the end of the day, he was with him 'til the end of the line.

"We've got work to do".

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 _ **AN: **_**As you can tell, I'm keeping one thing from CW because I'm a sucker for drama.**

 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please fav, follow and review.**

 **Feedback is the lifeblood that keeps me alive.** **See ya next week and have a Happy Halloween.**


	3. Chapter 3: Quite the Looker

**_AN: _ Hey guys! Hope all you UK peoples had a nice bonfire night! I had been planning to go to my local event but ended up being too tired to go. Recovering from a virus so my body clock is messed up, meaning that currently working on 2 hours sleep and yesterday I slept for 20 hours straight. Joy...**

 **But the show must go on!**

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 _Chapter 3 - Quite the looker_

Bucky expected this to be far more awkward than it turned out to be. In the beginning he felt completely out of his comfort zone as he sat down across from the nervous artist.

Bucky had honestly been a bit shocked when he learned that Steve was as good at drawing as he was. He'd read about Steve's attendance of an Art College at the Smithsonian but to actually see his friend's art really drove the point home. Bucky didn't really understand what counted as "good art" but looking at Steve's drawings were like staring into photographs. Like staring into memories. If anyone could draw 'X' realistically, it was Steve.

However, for reasons that Buck didn't fully understand, Steve didn't particularly like people knowing that he had this talent. Of course, the entire team knew. Steve was good at hiding his creations but he lived in the same building as 3 ex-assassins. It really showed how much the Avengers respected their leader, not even Stark joked about Steve's talent.

Bucky didn't doubt Steve's creative capability, he doubted his ability to describe the ghost from his mind.

Cap started off by asking for a face shape but Bucky hadn't paid much attention to her "face shape". The Winter Soldier didn't particularly care about appearance, only the mission at hand.

So when Steve started throwing around words like "Square", "Oblong" and "Round", Bucky got incredibly irritable. Round? Of course her face was round, all heads were!

Seeing his friend's frustration, Steve decided to use a different approach asking Buck what he did remember about the girl's face.

It didn't take Bucky long to come up with an answer. He could still picture her eyes in the back of his mind. So alive and bright that they were almost emerald green. Yet at the same time they held a fury that only a survivor could own.

He described them with ease and along the way Steve would give him descriptions and names. Thin almond, proportional, imperial jade.

Bucky didn't really understand it but when Steve let him have a look at his work so far, he could have sworn he was staring back into her eyes. Steve was a miracle worker.

Steve couldn't get the grin off his face as they continued, watching Buck as he tried to visualise her features as they moved from her eyes outward.

Bucky actually enjoyed explaining her to Steve. Describing her face to the best of his abilities, receiving a name for what he was saying and then seeing Steve bring her to life on paper.

Soft angled brow, long nose, Small mouth, Sharp Cupid's bow. Bucky was pretty sure some of the names were completely made up but he didn't really care if they were.

Gradually as the piece progressed, the two went from sitting on two opposite couches to sitting side by side.

Bucky learned that her face shape was actually "Round" which lead him to wonder what on earth a "Square" face looked like.

Bucky found that her hair was the easiest thing to explain, having some idea what Steve's fancy words meant.

In the end it took them a little over 3 hours to get it to a point where Bucky and Steve were both happy with the finished product.

In the end all Bucky could really do was stare at the sketch, taking in every detail. It wasn't exactly how he remembered her, she seemed to have a permanent scowl in his short dream. The only time her brow had relaxed was on the plane when she'd smiled at him.

It felt grounding to have her portrait in his hands, like now he had something physical to prove that she wasn't just a faded memory. She was a real person and this was one step closer to finding her.

He was taken from those thoughts by the sound of the elevator opening, snapping out of admiring the portrait just in time to see Tony strutting his way into the room. "Let's get this party started, shall we?" Tony's tone was, dare he say, "chipper", leading both Barnes and Steve to wonder how the Inventor knew they had finished.

Tony put on his best Stark smile while hold out a hand, waiting for Barnes to pass him the drawing. If either of them asked, he'd tell them that J was set to alert him when they'd finished because they was no way he was about to admit to spying on them.

Bucky passed him the paper with a little hesitance. Tony turned it the right way around as he slowly walked towards his holograph console. What he saw forced him to give out a low whistle. "Quite the looker". He meant it as well.

He reached the console, giving Jarvis the signal to scan the sketch as he wondered what he'd expected this girl to look like. He guessed that he expected her to be some blonde haired Russian chick with a jaw that could crush cans and bite through tires but she looked really pretty.

Not that Russians couldn't be pretty, Natasha was a prime example of that. Speaking of the Russian. "Now we're just waiting on Red and we can get this ball rolling"

Tony turned, leaning on the console as the hologram spread across the large window wall, displaying Steve's wonderful stretch. Tony held back a sigh at Cap's reprimanding stare, not even knowing what he'd done wrong this time. But before Steve could air his grievances, Tony was shocked to hear Barnes respond to him.

"Thank you, Tony"

Tony was stunned to see that Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier actually looked vulnerable as he thanked him. He was slightly sickened to admit that a spark of pity ran through him, hearing those three words. "It's as easy as Romanoff made it sound, really. No skin off my back" Tony shrugged, hoping to brush the conversation under the rug. He didn't get his wish.

"But you didn't have to help me" Bucky continued staring at the hologram of 'X's picture instead of Tony. He knew he could really do with being on the genius's good side. The next 'who knows how long' would be difficult and Tony's skills would be essential to them.

Tony finally let out that sigh he'd been holding since breakfast. He guessed he could be 'civil'. "Well, I'm not just helping you. I'm pretty sure Capsicle over there would melt under the stress of another manhunt. He's getting old, you know".

"Thanks, Tony" Steve's thanks was definitely more sarcastic than Barnes's making both of the other men smile slightly.

"And I have to admit that this girly of yours has gotten my interest peeked, which is a hard thing to do." That was the best Tony could do at the moment. He didn't know if there would be a day when he could forgive Barnes for what he did and he knew he'd never be able to forget it. "Plus I'm pretty sure Nat would have gone all momma bear on my ass, if I'd refused"

"Most likely" They could hear as well as see the smirk on Natasha's face as she walked in, Bruce in tow.

"Brucie! Nice of you to join us." Tony greeted brightly, thankful for the passing of that conversation.

"How's Fury?" Steve asked slipping easily into the Captain mentality. He would never demand information or results, it was impolite and he trusted Nat to do everything in her power to achieve their goal.

"Still Fury" She smirked before turning her attention back to Stark. "Localise your search to the States and work out from there"

Bucky's wandering mind, snapped onto her "She's in America?" He tried to deny that the thought planted a blossom of hope in his chest.

Natasha paused before responding, watching as a map of the USA appeared on the window followed closely by a box full of coding and sprawling text. She gave Bucky her best smile, "Fury seems to think so" She walked forward, taking a seat in front of the window and watching as Bruce went to help Tony out. "He had to call an old friend of his, CIA, I think. They'd heard whispers of an 'X' character crossing the Canadian border a couple of years ago"

"A couple of years ago?" Steve questioned watching Bucky as he sat down on the seat in front of Nat. "She could be anywhere right now". He commented softly, hoping not to discourage them as he joined Buck on the couch.

Natasha gave a light sigh, leaning back into her chair. She'd had to call Fury twice. Once to ask what he knew and the other to learn what his CIA friend told him. The process had been irritating but she didn't come away completely empty handed. "It's the best I've got on her location, However I did learn something interesting"

Bucky watched the smirk spread across her face as he wracked his brain, wondering what she knew. His mind craved information about 'X' like it was food for her memory. Each new fact grounded her in reality.

"There was whispers of an 'X Program', back in the early 90's according to Fury. Something Shield looked into briefly before leaving it". Natasha knew she couldn't take everything Fury said at face value but she didn't see a reason for him to lie to them about this.

Both men frowned at the information but before either could speak, one of the Scientists did. "On the topic of interesting info…" Tony called out from the console, cutting himself off as the window hologram filled with the data he'd found. Apart from being a 'Genius, Billionaire, ex-playboy, philanthropist', Stark was also an amazing multi-tasker. Things like creating micro pressure triggers and spying on his father's obsession and murderer came easy, allowing him enough time to sift through Hydra's leaked files.

Both Steve and Bucky looked at the Genius, confused why he'd cut of his own sentence but then Steve noticed how Natasha was now looking past them at the window. Tapping Bucky's shoulder to get his attention, Steve turned in his seat to view the screen properly. Bucky glanced at Steve before turning as well but the gravity of the information on the window made him stand to get a better look.

A file. A short file with no photo but a file all the same. "Where'd you find this?" Nat questioned absorbing the information. The file lacked a picture to confirm that this was their girl but the name was more than enough.

X23.

Aliases: X, Talon.

Gender: Female.

Date of Birth: Unknown.

Place of Birth: N/A.

Height: 5'6

Weight: 147 lbs

Tony moved away from the console, leaving his programs to run and moved closer to the trio as he explained. "Hydra's leak. Took me some time to find it, they'd hidden it well" He glanced back to see Bruce listening as well. "It's not much, weirdly but it's something".

But to Bucky it was enough. Enough to know that he wasn't just imagining her. Enough to know that they weren't about to embark on a wild goose chase to find a person in his head. She was real.

As the weight of doubt lifted from Bucky, a cloud of confusion descended onto Steve. "Why would they deem her Place of Birth not important?"

Bruce went to answer, reminding most of them that he was still in the room. "She could have been abandoned or an orphan, it would make sense considering they also didn't know when she was born".

"It would have been nice to have as well, I could've filtered my I.D search" Tony tutted before shrugging it off. He was just grateful to have her height and weight, it would help with the CCTV scan.

The present Avengers didn't get more time to discuss the file's content for the following pause was interrupted by the file in question disappearing, followed by Jarvis's explanation. "Sorry to interrupt, sir but we have 68% match on the CCTV scan"

Everyone paused for a second as they tried to comprehend what was happening. They'd found her? "Well, that was quick" Bruce commented, turning back towards the console and bringing the CCTV picture onto the window.

They all stared disbelieving at the picture. It was grainy in quality but Natasha had to admit that the woman did look a lot like Steve's drawing. Without her hood up, it was easy to see her face. Black hair was pulled up into a loose ponytail, green eyes pointing straight ahead and paying no attention to the camera. Navy blue backpack hanging from one shoulder.

Nat had no doubt that it was her but it still confused the hell out of her.

"What?" The half-asked question came out as a whisper from Bucky's lips. He felt like he was in some form of shock. They'd found her, in less than 24 hours but how? She was out in the open, not hiding but why? She was an assassin, she should know how to keep herself hidden.

Tony was the first to recover from the mental whiplash, "Where, J?"

"New York, sir. 42nd street heading southeast to be precise" Once again everyone was left silenced by Jarvis's words.

"She's in Queens?" Steve asked feeling a shiver of doubt and fear run through him. What if Bucky had it wrong? What if she wasn't a friend? What if she was working with Hydra and this was all some kind of trap?

Bucky's thought process wasn't in line with Steve's at all. Sure he was questioning why they'd found her so easily but he honestly didn't care if it was a trap at this point. He needed to confirm his memory. "She's in the city" He said already heading for elevator. He had a location, a lead and now he was going to go find her.

He barely got two steps before Natasha stepped in his way "Barnes, we need to set up a plan of approach before we can go after her".

Bucky huffed out an irritated breath before answering through gritted teeth. "We could lose her in that time." It made no difference to him if she was an enemy. Answers were answers, it didn't matter if they were supplied through a discussion or an interrogation.

Anger radiated from Bucky in waves that would have made most men back down but the Black Widow wasn't one to back down. "She's quite obviously isn't trying to be hidden, she shouldn't end up run for no reason." Natasha didn't understand why 'X' was out in the open but she quite clearly was. "Trust me, it's the exact same thing I said to that idiot whenever you showed up"

Her finger pointed at a surprisingly uneasy Steve. She was right, of course. Every sighting of Bucky had Steve wanting to run out and get him, which is why Steve felt so conflicted now. He could relate whole-heartedly with what Bucky was feeling but at the same time he didn't want to lose his best friend to a Hydra trap. "She's right, Buck". Steve quietly sighed, locking eyes with the brunette when he turned. "We have time. 'X' isn't going anywhere, right now. Let's plan it through so we only have to do this once"

Bucky could see how much Steve meant those words. Maybe Stark was right, neither of them were getting any younger. They may have been youthful physically but mental they were tired. All those years laid heavy on them but Steve seemed to mask his exhaustion well.

"Plus you need a shower before you meet up with your girl, otherwise she will definitely run a mile in the opposite direction". Stark's comment made Bucky look at his clothes in confusion. Sure he was still in his PJ bottoms and hadn't showered that morning but he didn't see why 'X' would care. Knowing how Hydra kept him, she'd probably seen him in worst states. "Go sort yourself out, Jarvis will track her and alert you if anything happens, isn't that right, J?"

Tony smiled fondly as his AI replied "Certainly, sir. You have my word".

* * *

 ** _AN:_ Quick thanks to ****AraelDranoth** **for the advice, it seemed to work a bit. And can't wait for your new predictions,** **Paksennarion** **:)**

 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please fav, follow and review.**

 **Feedback may possibly be the elixir that cures sleep problems! I don't know for sure but it's worth a shot so help a bro out!**

 **See you next week!**


	4. Chapter 4: Black Out

**_AN:_ Hey guys...We'll get to the story in a second but first... US Election was this week and I just wanted to say if any of you are American...I'm so sorry, you literally have literal Hitler as you future president. Like I thought Britain was bad but Jesus Christ...**

 **Stayed up to watch the results come in and it destroyed me for the rest of the...week. Like, as a Scottish Liberal, I didn't realise that I could cry for 3 hours and still...cry. I can't imagine how the American's are dealing with this. So just Hugs. All the Hugs. International Hug America day.**

 **Anyway politics aside, it's time to return to the story at an interesting place. We also get a sneak peek at what X is up to. Important AN at the end of the chapter.**

 **Let's do this!**

* * *

 _ **Chapter 4 - Black Out**_

Bucky decided to take Tony's advice and get a shower. Steve had forced him to eat lunch first but now both men had gone to get cleaned and dressed. Bucky wasn't ashamed to admit that he absolutely adored a warm shower. Showers relaxed him and it was hard for him to relax. The heated water ran down his body as he let his mind wonder. He could think more clearly, like the water was washing away the clutter in his mind, and there was a lot to think about.

In the space of 24 hours he had remembered 'X', dragged the Avengers into a manhunt and found her. He hoped he'd be able to add reunited to that list by the end of the day. He knew that Steve was having his doubts, the man wasn't too good at hiding his feelings, and Bucky could understand his apprehension. But he didn't share it. Much of what they'd learnt so far had only lead to more questions, even the physical proof had led to some being raised.

However, Bucky strangely expected 'X' to be confusing. She'd been confusing in his dream so he didn't have reservations about meeting her again. If it was a trap then it was a trap, he'd need to go to find out.

"Mr. Barnes, Sir is asking for your presence on the communal floor". Jarvis's voice startled Bucky out of his shower thoughts.

He frowned. He'd just been up there for lunch, why did Tony need him? "Why?"

"He says it concerns Miss 'X'" Bucky stepped out of the shower as soon as he heard Jarvis's response. He dried off quickly before pulling his PJ bottoms and t-shirt back on.

He practically raced out of his room and into the corridor, spotting that Steve was holding the elevator door for him. "What's happened?" Bucky asked coming to stand next to the Captain.

"Let's find out" Steve said firmly, face stern, bracing for the worst. The elevator rose quickly, both men remaining in an anxious silence the entire time until the door slide open. They strode into the communal area and instantly became very confused.

All the others were there, Clint and Nat were standing against the back of one of the coaches, sharing whispers and looking just as tense as the Soldiers were. However it was Bruce and Tony that were confusing everyone.

Bruce sat nonchalantly, reading a science novel. His lips would curl into a half contained smile every now and then, and Tony was full on grinning. The Inventor stood in front of the console, barely containing his pent up excitement. Oh, yes…everyone was awfully confused.

"Stark, you called for us?" Steve questioned suspiciously, wondering what the billionaire was up to.

Tony's eyes brightened as they noticed the soldier's arrival, turning to address the room. "Ah, yes! I just thought I'd share some interesting and amusing information and seeing as it's a team mission, I thought we should have the team here." The excitement in Tony's voice made everyone slightly uneasy but it made Barnes fearful. If Tony was taking so much entertainment from his lost friend then what had he learned.

Tony twisted round to tap something on the console, causing the window hologram to come to life. It displayed a map of the Queens area, a pinpointed location drawing their attention. "Exactly 15 minutes ago, our mysterious woman reached this location and entered the building. She has remained there ever since".

There was a pause as everyone expected Tony to continue but the pause dragged on, causing panic to start building in Bucky's chest. What made this location special? Could it be a secret Hydra base?

"And?" It was Natasha who asked the question she knew Stark was waiting for. The irritation in her voice was thick.

Tony smirked, turning to tap the console. A website page popped up. "Well, only a select few people entered a strip club before opening time"

The red and black website had the club's name at the top and was decorated with very attractive ladies wearing nothing more than lingerie. A strong blush appeared on Steve's cheeks making Tony smile broadly. "J?" Tony beamed at his AI

"Recorded and stored, sir"

Natasha rolled her eyes at the "genius", a smirk growing on her face. "So she's a stripper?"

"It appears so" Bruce responded, putting his book down. He smiled at his friend's antics, having been in the room when Tony found out.

"Of course she is!" Tony corrected. "The only people who go to a strip club this early are the owner and the girls".

"You seem to know a lot about this kind of thing, Tony" Nat smirked even more as Clint tried and failed to contain his laughter.

Tony glared at the former agents. Sure he was no stranger to the strip clubs of New York and most club owners treated him as an old friend but he had Pepper now.

Meanwhile Bucky had no idea what to think. His head spun with emotions that he couldn't name as he tried to wrap his head around the fact that 'X' was a stripper.

"Why would the…girls be there this early?" Steve asked having recovered from his shock. He was still adjusting to some aspects of the present.

Tony annoyance flicked back amusement as he replied to the blushing Captain. "Black Out considers itself one of the more classy venues, the girls will be practicing for tonight" His glare returned full force as his eye caught Nat whispering something into Barton's ear causing the archer to burst into another laughing fit.

"So she'll be performing there tonight?" Bucky spoke up, the beginnings of a plan forming.

Tony actually almost forgot that Barnes was in the room but nodded anyway.

Nat smirked catching on to the Soldier's train of thought. "It is familiar territory for her, she'll be less likely to run".

A grin split across Tony's face "Great idea! We go, blend in, get her to give the Boy Scout over there a private dance and have a little talk"

Steve's blush intensified as he wondered what he'd done to Tony to deserve this amount of teasing. "Tony…" Steve's tone warned Tony to quit while he was ahead.

Tony rolled his eyes at the two glaring Super Soldiers "Well it's either you or him, the rest of us are spoken for".

"Bruce isn't and neither is Nat" Clint pointed out, pointing to each of them.

Bruce came into the conversation before Tony could respond. "I'll sit this one out actually, I don't think you'll be needing the other guy."

Tony watched as Steve nodded at Bruce's words before turning his gaze on Nat, waiting to see what she had to say. However, she didn't feel the need to say anything, instead choosing to raise a challenging eyebrow.

He turned away from her, finding it slightly creepy when she communicated through facial expressions alone.

"I think I'll bow out as well, the wife wouldn't be too pleased. Plus clubs are a bit too crowded for my talents" Clint smirked, remembering the promise he'd made years ago to only do the more intimate parts of his job if it was necessary and he really didn't think they'd need a sniper.

Tony paused in thought for a second "I'm sure Pep will understand how important this mission is" He was probably (definitely) lying to himself, she'd be livid but there was no way he was going to miss out on taking Captain Innocent to his first strip club.

"Don't worry Stark, I'll keep an eye on you for her" Natasha grinned predatorily at him. The two red heads got on quite well and Nat would wipe the floor with Tony if he even thought about cheating.

Steve ignored the two as Tony squirmed under Natasha venomous smile, instead getting into leader mode. "That's settled then, we'll meet here at 7 to discuss mission approach. Be ready for then."

* * *

Laura didn't understand why this outfit needed this many straps. It just made changing difficult. But Tina picked it out for her so here she was, losing a mental battle with a bunch of fabric.

One of the elastic straps slipped from her fingers, pinging against her skin hard. She hissed at the sting that followed, glaring daggers at the offending outfit. She didn't get paid enough for this. She already had to deal with the high heels that always attempted to mutilate her feet and now she had this whip trap as well. She eyed a strap that she thought might be designed for her arm to go through as she side stepped to avoid Penny who wasn't watching where she was going.

For one of the more up market exotic dance clubs, their backstage area was pathetic. 7 grown ass women had to share a glorified cupboard.

However, she couldn't deny that the money was better than other places she'd worked. It was an unfortunate fact that travelling costed money even for someone like her. She was lucky to have such a high paying job and she had Lily to thank for that.

Lily's shining reference had gotten her a meeting with the owner. Lucian Ford was an arrogant and heartless man but luckily he was also a spineless coward who wouldn't dare piss her off. He was a smart man in that regard.

In the 3 months that she'd known him, they'd come to an understanding. If he didn't treat the girls like dirt and stayed out of her way then Laura would break his arm. She hadn't threatened that directly but like she said he was smart when it came to his own survival.

She stared at herself in the full body mirror wondering if those straps were meant to be that far apart. Her arrangement with Ford had made her an instant hit with the other girls which helped her greatly. The 4 full time employees worked like some kind of well-oiled machine. Tina picked out Laura's outfits. Penny was a miracle worker with makeup, Charlie handled music and Lily organised the little details. Laura was quite grateful for their expert assistance. As payment for their help, she advised them on their dancing and showed them new tricks every now and then.

With a sigh of acceptance, Laura decided that the outfit was as much on her body as it was going to get. "Renee! You almost ready, Hun?"

Laura turned towards the door that lead to the stage, just realising the time. She managed two steps toward the door before her toes rammed into her high heels that lay on the ground. Biting back a curse, Laura composed herself before shouting her reply "On my way!"

The devil shoes were held up to eye level, receiving a glare that could make the faint-hearted keel over. She needed to hide them. It was one of both Lily's and Ford's biggest critiques of her. She had a very special hatred of the foot traps. She went to her new hiding spot, a small space between two counters that was always covered with random junk and squeezed them in next to her emergency backpack.

In the past 10 years Laura had learned that the best way to live was light. Being who she was and related to whom she was, meant that the ability to up and leave at a moment's notice was essential for a stress free life.

She quickly jogged out of the room and toward the stage entrance. Well maybe not completely stress free but it limited chaos.

"Renee, the stage is ready for ya". Lily gave the dark haired girl a large grin as she approached, adjusting some of the tricky straps on the younger girl's clothes when she was within arm's reach.

Lily Ann Craig was the oldest of all of them having just reached her early forties and the woman had always taken a shine to Laura or Renee as she knew her. Even back in the "good old days".

Laura still thought that saying was odd.

Laura merely nodded in reply causing Lily to pull open a gap in curtain for her to enter. "Just send me a signal when the smoke has settled and we'll get this show on the road".

Laura nodded taking a calming breath. However her breath paused midway as her nose picked up on something.

The Black Out club always had a wild assortment of scents staining the air. Usually it was a thick, heavy mixture of different powerful colons and hard liquor but something else tickled her nose, something she couldn't name. "Hun?" Laura snapped out of it, giving Lily a small reassuring smile before stepping out onto the stage and getting into place.

The scent hadn't made her tense, it hadn't put her on alert so Laura was willing to call it an oddity at the moment, blaming it on the chalky smell that clogged her senses. But she decided to keep it in mind as she signaled to Lily and the curtain rose.

* * *

 ** _AN:_ In case you haven't already guessed, next chapter will take place in an adult location. If you're fine with that then cool, see you next week. If you are not okay with it or unsure about it then listen up! 'cause I'm only gonna say this once.**

 **The next chapter WILL take place in an adult location. That is your warning. Now a disclaimer, I'm not the type of person who is about to publish a chapter set in a super erotic strip club. I'm a nerd who giggles like an idiot at anything even remotely sexual. The location will mostly be written as if from the minds of one of the girls i.e. a place of work. It's gonna be tastefully done which is why I'm not going to change the rating on this story. If you're still not sure about it, I would usually advise just to skip it but it is super important to the story so I encourage you to give it ago.**

 **Right, Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Next one is gonna be a big one!**

 **Please fav, follow and review! Feedback, unfortunately, isn't going to fix the world but it may make ours a little brighter :)**

 **See you next week!**


	5. Chapter 5: Work

**_AN:_ This is a little late because I haven't slept again. I had an nap and woke up like an hour ago, remembering what day it was. **

**I am planning on getting it sorted which is why I won't be posting next week because I have a doctor appointment to get some blood tests done. To make up for it, have an extra long chapter :D**

 **(There's an song playing in this scene. Look at the bottom AN for a URL to said song, if you are interested)**

 **Enjoy**

* * *

 ** _Chapter 3 - Work_**

Tony really hoped this girl was worth the trouble he was going to get in with Pepper.

The four of them, Tony, Natasha, Steve and Bucky, sat around a small round black table as rather attractive ladies walked here and there, serving drinks to other nearby tables. The venue itself wasn't particularly big but it was better decorated than some places Stark had visited in the past.

In all honesty Tony wasn't enjoying this experience as much as he thought he would. His main source of entertainment for the evening wasn't playing ball. The ex-playboy had expected to be giddy for the next three weeks at the sight of Captain Virginity in such a place but Steve was in leader mode. The blonde was occupied with checking that the exits were clear and that the other patrons weren't armed.

Steve had to admit he did feel uncomfortable but it had more to do with the possibility of a Hydra attack than the girls. For obvious reasons, he hadn't been able to bring his shield. Natasha had loaned him one of her guns, which made him feel a little bit more secure. When they'd sat down, he'd spotted the Ironman bracelets on Tony's wrists before the billionaire readjusted his suits sleeves and he was sure that Bucky had some kind of weapon on him. However, the building was still packed with potential threats, anybody could be Hydra.

"I don't know what she's going on about, $35 just to get into this place". Tony grumbled over the somewhat loud music. He'd never been a particularly big fan of Sia but this song was really just mocking him right now.

"I'm sure it hasn't hit your bank account too hard, Tony" Natasha glared softly at the billionaire, taking a sip of her martini.

"Yeah, well… call me an equal opportunist". Natasha snorted at Tony's response but the genius's comment didn't faze Bucky. He was too busy searching for 'X'. Every girl that passed and the two currently dancing, none of them were her.

He was beginning to doubt that she was really there and he knew that Steve was probably thinking the same way. He wouldn't be surprised if the Captain decided to call off the mission and go home, judging from the constant looks at the exits.

Admittedly they weren't really near either of said exits but at least they had their back to a wall. It would be a struggle to fight their way out if it turned into an ambush.

It was easy to see why his best friend was on edge.

What made Bucky curious was why Natasha wasn't?

The red head was laid back, or she was hiding her apprehension extremely well. She looked stunning in her black dress and had made a point of making them look "appropriate".

She had advised both of the super soldiers on their outfits, something that Bucky would deny if anyone asked. He didn't really know if his white t-shirt and Steve's leather Jacket were appropriate attire for a strip club but he was nowhere near as formal as Stark was. Even Steve was closer in his blue shirt.

However, "fashion" still confused the hell out of Bucky so he decided it was best not to argue with Natasha's advice.

"Looks like you were right, Stark. These girls are very talented." Natasha commented, causing the others to follow her gaze. Three sets of eyes landed on one of the two mini performance platforms in the room. A bright blonde haired lady hung upside down on the pole, the only things stopping her from falling on her head were her crossed ankles and her thighs which were holding onto the pole. Bucky had to admit that it was a very good show of inner thigh muscle strength.

"How would you know, Romanoff?" Tony's tone became somewhat suggestive causing Nat to kick him under the table. As Tony whined at the violence, she continued to watch the girls. She hadn't been lying when she they were talented. It took a lot of strength to dance the way they did, using muscles that many people didn't even know they had. However, what interested her more was the slight ways they'd correct themselves. The way they'd achieve a pose and then half way through a spin, they'd point their toes or readjust their hand on the pole. It was like they were remembering those slight details at the last second.

Despite all this, she knew her thoughts would mostly just confuse the boys. "Pole dancing is not as easy as it looks" She paused taking another sip of her martini "Plus it looks like we're going to get a show soon". She nodded her head toward the main stage at the opposite side of the room.

The trio's gaze followed and they observed, each taking note of the white smoke slowly descending from the closed curtain. The curtain had closed after the last act had ended, one performed by a blonde older lady and they had remained closed ever seen. Usually the sight of smoke would have the group evacuating the build and waiting for the fire service but they could luckily all make the distinction between black smoke, equalling fire and white smoke, meaning special effect chalk smoke.

"Dramatic smoke and pole dancing? If she comes out to "Abracadabra" then I can't be held responsible for laughing at her". Tony snorted taking a sip on his scotch.

It was just after this remark that the current song began to fade and the curtains slowly rose, revealing the empty stage covered in low lying smoke. The audience slowly drew quiet as everyone waited for the girl to appear.

However, no girl walked onto the stage. Instead the first notes of a new song start to play and a hand shot out of the veil of smoke, clutching at the air briefly before disappearing again. The moment it vanished something moved suddenly from under the smoke and a head of black hair breached the sea of white smoke.

This got the Avengers', but mainly Bucky's, attention, as he tried to see through the wisps of smoke that blocked the girl's face. But the head moved before he could make out any details. A hand beat against the woman's now visible chest as the slow beat of the music thumped deeply. Her head flicked forward causing her hair to block Bucky's view, her fist lashed out at thin air, pushing her body back under the smoke. But she wasn't down for long. Hands reached out slowly, grabbing onto one of the two poles on stage. Her body swung around the pole before a head, torso and hand reached out to the sky.

Bucky watched her once again disappear as another beat thumped, a small bead of hope forming in his chest. Two legs cartwheeled up out of the smoke gracefully, one after the other. A hand reached higher on the pole, allowing her to swing around into a crouched position. Silky black hair flicked out of her face and Bucky got his first good look at her.

Her eyes were down, preventing him from seeing them but porcelain eyelids had been covered with dark eye-shadow. Her small mouth painted with light pink gloss. She was seamless, poised and just as confusing as she'd been in his dream. "It's her" it came out as nothing more than a whisper as he watched her dance, catching the other's nods in the corner of his eye.

She jumped clearing a good 3 ft above her head height as her hands latched onto the pole, pulling herself up and round, just as the lyrics started.

 _'Boys workin' on empty_

 _Is that the kinda way to face the burning heat?_

 _I just think about my baby_

 _I'm so full of love I could barely eat'_

She performed a number of very complex tricks in time to the music. The tensing of well-toned stomach muscles gave clue to her core strength as she held herself upside down and extended her legs out vertically. She worked her way up the pole before coming to sit there, looking out at the audience briefly before adverting her gaze. In that brief second, Bucky ducked his head, hoping not to be seen before remembering that he was all the way at the other side of the room. In the short time she'd been dancing, his mind had wondered into some nostalgic realm of being.

She descended from the pole spinning her way to the second one. She latched onto it effortlessly as the chorus arrived, spinning as she climbed and kicking up a column of smoke as she went.

 _'When, my, time comes around_

 _Lay me gently in the cold dark earth_

 _No grave can hold my body down_

 _I'll crawl home to her'_

Bucky's eyes followed her as her foot pushed against the pole, creating distance between the metal pole and her torso. He didn't recognise the song but he didn't care. At that point he could barely hear the song, too stuck in his own mind.

Every now and then, when she'd move in certain ways, he'd be taken to images of battles long forgotten in his mind. They weren't full memories, more like flashes or snapshots.

She'd flick her head in a certain way and all of a sudden she wouldn't be all dolled up, instead her face would be speckled with blood and she'd have a rage in her eyes that could make a man wish for a painless death.

Her elbow would bend so her arm could hold her weight and all of a sudden there'd be a rough stranger's hand seizing her wrist. She'd hide her face in her arms for dramatic effect and suddenly her pitch black hair would be littered with falling ash.

He snapped out of it as a something touched his arm. Bucky tore his eyes away from the stage and they landed on Steve's hand as it hesitantly lifted from his forearm. They're eyes connected and Bucky could see that Steve was concerned about him.

Steve was very concerned about him, the man's face went slack the moment they'd recognised 'X' and he could see that something was going on in his friends head. However, before Steve could ask anything, a wolf-whistle from up front snapped their attention back to the stage. A small wave of irritation washed over Steve as his eyes searched momentarily for whoever had whistled and interrupted not only his interaction with Buck but also distracted most of the audience from 'X's show.

But Bucky could tell that it hadn't fazed 'X' in the slightest. Her dance had moved from the pole onto the stage floor itself and was still as graceful and in time as it had been before.

Her gaze only lifted onto the audience occasionally, something Natasha noted with a small spark of respect. So much dancing styles were about the smile and the act but 'X' was enjoying pole dancing much like Natasha used to enjoy ballet.

Dancing was the perfect combination of grace, flexibility and strength. A good dancer knew discipline and how to portray the basic emotions. It worked the body and the mind at the same time and Nat knew it could be the sign of a very deadly individual. She could see that the dark haired girl was performing for herself and practically ignoring the audience, and that made Natasha both wary and intrigued.

They watched on as she approached the pole, the chorus kicked in again. She jumped onto it, thighs clamping down onto the metal to support her weight before starting her climb up. Bucky concentrated on her face as she performed the same trick they'd seen the bright blonde girl do before but 'X' transitioned it, unlocking her ankles and un-clamping her thighs, until only her arms were holding her entire body upside down against the pole. The concentration on her features caused sparks of nostalgia to swirl in his stomach.

He didn't have a lot of memories of her, just the one from the dream and the snapshots he'd just experienced, but he felt himself wanting to remember. Most of the memories he'd recovered had been of torture or murders he didn't want to commit but 'X' made him hopeful that maybe there was something good to remember about his time trapped there.

He watched impressed as she held one of her leg parallel to her torso, stretching her other leg out to do the splits upside down on the pole. Dazzling green eyes moved onto the audience and held their gaze for a second before she dropped. Inside Bucky's heart jumped into his throat but, before he could react on the outside, her muscles clenched bring her descent to an abrupt stop about a foot off the ground.

His heartbeat thundered in his head as she flipped herself over and continued on. Even his sudden shock was sending waves of familiarity over him, making him fondly cautious. He already had one friend who seemed to enjoy running head first into danger and giving himself mini heart attacks, he didn't need another. He re-focused on her as the chorus returned and she swapped poles. Latching onto the metal, she spun herself round and round, kicking up smoke and funnelling it, creating a tornado of smoke beneath her.

Despite Tony's earlier jest, he had to admit, the smoke brought a whole new element to the act. It wasn't just a cheesy prop to create "atmosphere", it made the performance. Tony's only complaint was that the dance was way more artistic than sadistic or sexy, which was less a complaint and more of a concern.

The song slowly came to an end as 'X' descended the pole in stages before coming to lie on the ground again, reaching out of the mist with both hands on the last note. There wasn't a beat of silence between her finishing and the applause that follow. A good few wolf whistles sounded from the room and the boys were a little surprise to see Natasha put her fingers to her lips and whistle one out as well.

The curtain closed with 'X' still lying on the ground, probably catching her breath, Nat thought. However she couldn't really think on this long as she noticed Bucky trying to get up. Unfortunately he was sandwiched between her and Steve so he wasn't running off anywhere.

Bucky was annoyingly aware of this fact. He made a move to get up. The stage had to be connected to a back stage area and he was sure he could find the entrance if he could just get up. However the moment he tried to get past Steve had led to the blonde pushing him lightly back into his seat.

"Where do you think you're going?" It was Natasha who asked making Buck feel like he was being ganged up on.

"To find the backstage entrance" He saw no point in lying, the Black Widow probably already knew the answer.

"And if you can't find it, what then? Jump the stage? The security will get you" Steve tried to reason with his friend but Buck didn't seem fazed.

He merely scoffed "I think I'll be fine". There had to be an entrance and the bouncers didn't exactly scare him.

"Or we could do this the easy way…" The three turned to stare at Tony as he downed the rest of his scotch, the ex-playboy eyeing them back questioningly. Tony rolled his eyes softly as the super soldier waited for him to explain. Nat seemed to understand judging from the murderous glare she was giving him. He decided against explaining, instead rising from his seat and adjusting his suit "Come on, Dory let's go find 'X'" Tony motioned for Bucky to following him as he started to make his way toward the bar slowly, waiting for the cyborg to catch up.

Steve released him and Bucky quickly caught up with the billionaire, narrowly avoiding a collision with a girl holding a tray full of drinks. He kept an eye out for both the backstage entrance and 'X' herself as he questioned Stark "What's the plan?"

Tony shrugged half-heartedly "It's not that tricky, just keep your distance and don't do anything stupid". His tone turned from casual to somewhat mocking, as if he could list the stupid things that Barnes would wanted to do.

The two neared the bar and Bucky, seeing that this was Stark's destination, verged off to the side so as to keep a healthy distance from the man while remaining within ear shot. He didn't really understand what Tony was up to but he was willing to, at least, give it a try.

Tony leaned on the bar and waited for the lovely chestnut haired bartender to finish serving her other customer, tapping a random rhythm on the counter. "Hi, what can I get you?" The smile was wide and Tony had to wonder if it hurt her face.

"Oh, yeah, can I have your best scotch and a word with the manager, maybe?" The girl started to make his drink, staring at him worriedly. "I'd just like to congratulate him on having such a great establishment".

His drink was handed to him and it was after he'd paid that she gave a quiet "ok" before quickly disappearing out the other side of the bar, leaving Stark with his drink and his thoughts. Tony wasn't an idiot and apparently neither was Natasha, he knew the owner of the place.

He'd never been to this club before but he'd checked who owned it before they left and the name had seemed familiar to him. Lucian Ford. Of course Tony didn't remember him well, if the man worked in this business then the playboy was probably drunk as a skunk when they'd met.

Tony looked over his shoulder to check that Barnes was doing as he was told and sure enough, the man had managed to blend in effortlessly. The two made eye contact and Tony caught the frown on his face. Tony presumed that he'd heard him speaking to the barmaid and was silently wondering what he was up to.

"Mr. Stark!" Tony inwardly grimaced, partially at the title and partially due to the over-exuberant tone. He turned back towards the bar to see a man only slightly younger than him with the straightest smile Tony had ever seen. And that was saying something. The man wore a crisp white suit with a light blue shirt, blonde hair with so much product in it that it looked greasy and a pristine white smile that could not be natural.

Stark had a face to put to the name now but he still couldn't remember this guy. "Mr. Ford" Tony put on his best Stark smile and shook the man's hands. "It's been a while".

"That it has! I must admit, Tony, I'm surprised to see you here. I thought you had a bird, now. Couldn't resist the lights and ladies for long, huh?" Tony could tell he was trying to sound upper-class but every now and then his Queens accent would break through.

"Just fancied a change" Tony reminded himself to sue the guy if he saw that quoted anyway. "As did you, I see. Nice place you got" The billionaire commented, fishing for information.

"Ah well. Euphoria had its charms but a bit too small. Managed to get this place for a good price, still cost me an arm and a leg though" The man laughed and Tony joined in while his brain slowly began to piece it together. He remembered the Euphoria club, really cramped place down by time square but that was all he could recall about his time there.

"Yeah anyway, I was wondering if I could ask you something" Tony moved the conversation on, not wanting to spend too much time talking to this guy. "I'm kinda looking to maybe sneak a private dance into my evening…" Of course, he really wasn't. Pep would kill him if he did and then Nat would kill him as well. Tony really didn't need to die twice, tonight.

A sleazy smile spread across Lucian face "Well I can recommend a girl for you, some are clumsier than the others but have your pick".

Tony returned the smile, having Lucian exactly where he wanted him. "How about the Hozier girl? She looked nice"

Oddly, the smile slipped away from Lucian face and Tony wondered if Barnes was giving him the skink eye. "Renee? I can't do that Tony"

The genius frowned "Why?"

"Renee doesn't do private meetings and I'm not about to ask her" Lucian paled slightly and Tony wondered what she'd done to the man to get a reaction like that.

Tony sighed inaudibly before reaching into his suit pocket "Listen, how about I pay double? What's it usually, $200?" He knew it was probably less than that but he didn't want Barnes going loco and rushing the stage.

Lucian looked torn for a second before sighing and leaning on the bar. "Look, I can get her on the bar. If you think you can talk her round, it'll be a miracle." He stage-whispered to Tony before taking the money out of his hand "Good Luck" he slapped Tony on the back, still looking pale before disappearing into the crowd.

Bucky watched as the owner retreated somewhere and Stark's smile dropped. He didn't blame him, smiling like that looked annoying.

The celebrity turned and caught his eye again. Buck didn't really know what to think about Tony's plan and he couldn't decide if it was a better plan than his. Both plans got her isolated from the chaos of the club but Tony's might make her uncomfortable and Bucky feared that she'd run. The man, Ford, said that she didn't do private "meetings" meaning she probably had something over him. Why else would he submit to her demands? He was her employer.

He broke eye contact with Stark as movement at the other end of the bar caught his attention. His old friend came storming into the bar area, a scowl marring her features as she ducked behind the bar and began a short conversation with the brown haired barmaid.

She was wearing the same thing she'd worn for her performance, some weird two piece with thick black straps on it. Bucky didn't really pay much attention to her outfit though, instead concentrating on the fact that her hair was longer than it had been in his memory and he'd only just noticed.

Tony turned back towards the bar after seeing Barnes's gaze wonder and a small grin appear on the soldier's face. A grin came to his face as well as he stared at the mysterious girl only a metre away from him. He downed his drink as he looked at her, noting joyfully that she was actually shorter than him. He'd finally be taller than multiple people.

"Uh, Miss?" Laura looked up from grabbing a tray from under the bar and made eye contact with a man wearing sunglasses. "Could I get a top up? Scotch"

She didn't reply verbally, instead grabbing the bottle and pouring him another. She took her time to examine him while he paid by card. Men who wore sunglasses to a lowly light club often didn't want to be recognised and something about this man seemed familiar. She was about to turn and get back to preparing other drinks when a $50 note was held out to her "Renee, was it? Here, keep the change"

He flashed her a smile and a wave of recognition ran through her. Tony Goddamn Stark. She tilted her head slightly. Tony Goddamn Stark, who's currently in a relationship with Pepper CEO Potts? She took the money dubiously, wondering what he was after. She'd been sceptical when Ford had asked her to help out the girls at the bar. If this turned out to have something to do with that slimy idiot then she'd break his arm. "Thanks"

"That was quite the show you put on" Tony sipped from his new drink, knowing that he'd have to cut himself off after this one.

"Thanks…" She decided to keep an eye on him as she continued to make the drinks, putting each onto the tray as she went.

"I was wondering if I could get a private show" Tony watched as she paused her job to stare at him, a dark look set her features. A small pang of fear ran through him as she left her tray of drinks on the side and came to stand in front of him.

She was going to break both of Lucian's arms. "I don't do private shows" She glared at the billionaire, lifting her chin a touch as a silent dare to continue down this path and see where it lead him.

"I'll pay double" Tony realised that was probably a big mistake. Renee was a very threating presence, the air almost going still as she stood off against him. But he wasn't about to let his plan fail. He wasn't ready to give up gloating rights.

Laura leaned onto the bar, getting into Tony's personal bubble. "I know you don't get told 'no' often, Mr. Stark. You think throwing money at people will make the answer change, the girls talk about you occasionally. So I'll give you some advice; finish your drink, get in a taxi and go home to your girlfriend before you hurt yourself". She straightened up and returned to her tray, finishing off her last order.

Tony sat shocked for a second. Had she just threatened him? His eyes snapped to her as she picked up the loaded tray. "Wait, you sure about that?" Tony knew he should let it go. He was playing with fire but he was still stubbornly holding onto his gloating rights.

She walked round the bar, watching Stark turn in his stool as he followed her movements. "Don't test your luck, Stark" She smirked slightly, confident that the celebrity would stay at the bar and not bother to follow her. The girls had talked about the famous Tony Stark around her so she knew the man's connection with booze was strong.

She had just turned fully away from the bar when a voice, or more so a name, made her freeze in place. "X".

* * *

 ** _AN:_ Laura's dance routine was based on this video - /HZj_Uc0jMT0 (If that link doesn't work then check out my Tumblr) because it is a gorgeous routine and the song works so well with who Laura really is. I didn't even know of this song before finding this routine and it's so beautiful :3. **

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please fav, follow and review.**

 **Feedback will keep me alive until my doctor's appointment! Probably not but it might!**

 **See you in a fortnight!**


	6. Chapter 6: Trouble

**_AN:_ Hey! I'm back! Doctor appointment was fun, if fun is code for she wants my blood (literally, not figuratively). The nurse is going to drain my blood today and then Doc will have my results next week...so much fun...**

 **I left you guys on a horrible cliff hanger last time so I won't keep you from it any longer.**

 **Enjoy! :)**

* * *

 _ **Chapter 6 - Trouble**_

X23 blinked as her eyes connected with the striking blue ones of the ghost in front of her.

There he was, standing a bit more than a metre away from her.

She breathed through her nose, catching wisps of his scent and wondering why she hadn't been able to name it earlier. However in the back of her mind she knew why, she could physically see why.

It was weird to see the Winter Soldier, one of the most dangerous men she'd known, wearing jeans. He looked so casual, a leather jacket covering the powerful metal arm. He looked almost normal. He looked different.

He'd changed, and so had his scent. What was once a strong mixture of sweat, metal and gunpowder was more subtle and masked by other smells. Soap, fabric softener, male de-odorant, even what might have been someone else's scent seemed to cling to him.

It almost felt wrong in her head but she shoved the thought aside, focusing back onto the man himself. His sharp blue eyes almost seemed grey in the low light as they subtly searched her face. What was he looking for? Recognition or something else? What did he remember?

She'd heard about what happened in Washington last year, she'd suspected that he'd been involved but she didn't think he was free. Her brow creased as she glanced over her shoulder at the Avenger she'd just threatened.

The Avenger in question, Iron Man, sat half on his seat and half off it, looking ready to intervene if it was needed. The Captain must have saved Winter during the DC attack, it was the most logical way to explain how the Winter Soldier was working with an Avenger.

She wasn't about to start a fight but at the same time this wasn't the time or place to talk about "the good old days". She had a job to do and her arm was getting stiff from holding her tray full of drinks.

She could deal with the soldier later.

Right now, came work.

Bucky watched her as she looked back at Tony and could see the cogs turning in her head. She knew that he was working with him. Tony, the man who, judging from his reaction, she'd just threatened. Bucky had felt jumpy as soon as Tony started to push his luck while talking to the clearly angry woman, waiting to see if he needed to step in.

But when she started heading his way, he decided to scrap Stark plan. It clearly hadn't been working and he wasn't about to just let her walk by him. But now, standing in front of her, Bucky didn't feel as confident as he had when he'd said her name. Her attention came forward again and Bucky wondered what her first words to him would be.

So imagine his surprise as she started to walk, one step and then another, toward him.

His mind raced a hundred miles per hour in the space of a few seconds. What was she doing? Was she going to attack him or hug him? Shake his hand or smash that tray of glasses into his face?

However in those few seconds her direction changed slightly and Bucky realised with a jolt that she was going to walk past him, ignore him. Disappointment turned quickly into irritation as his metal hand reached out and caught her elbow, bring her to a stop. "Renee" His jaw clenched as she avoided eye contact.

There was a pause as Laura and Tony both looked in the same direction without knowing it.

Laura only glanced but Tony's eyes lingered on the nearby Bouncer currently watching the pair closely. He cursed Barnes for being stupid, knowing that he would only make the situation worse if he intervened now.

Laura took a deep breath to calm herself. She didn't want a fight but she'd sure as hell defend herself, the only issue was that if the Soldier tried to start a fight here then the security would get involved.

It would be chaos.

She was just about to snap at the man holding her when she realised that someone else had noticed her situation. The dirty blonde head of Lily was making her way towards them, weaving through the tables. Laura sighed silently. If it had been anyone else, she'd be worried but Lily knew her better than most. She knew that Laura or Renee could take care of herself and had seen her do so on more than one occasion.

The older blonde approached them, surprising the Soldier, judging by the way his grasp relaxed slightly. Lily's hands slipped under the tray, taking its weight and allowing Laura to remove her hand. "Thank you" She smiled tensely at Lily as the woman took the hint and backed off a bit.

Her smile dropped quickly before grabbing the metal wrist and twisting it behind his back.

She guessed she'd have to deal with the Winter Soldier now instead of later. Joy.

Bucky was caught off guard by her strength. He had allowed himself to relax when it appeared that she was going to pass on her job to another girl and talk to him. But instead she'd twisted his metal arm behind his back and gotten behind him.

Bucky vaguely wondered if she was trying to start a hostage situation with him but before he could act against her, she pushed him forward lightly, not even using half the power she'd yanked his arm back with. She released her grip on his arm and he stumbled forward a few steps, watching as Tony shot out of his seat, looking ready to call his suit.

"Move it" Her tone was harsh as she pushed him again. He gave more resistant this time, not understanding what she was doing but he still got knocked a step or two. "Out" with the following push, Bucky allowed himself to be moved, realising that she was manoeuvring him toward one of the side exits. He caught Stark's eye as they moved, trying to convey that this was fine.

Judging by the glare he got back, Tony didn't care. Bucky should have seen that coming. He didn't give her a chance to push him again, preferring to walk steadily to the exit than to be pushed there.

They made it to the door, Bucky shoving it open with enough force that it banged against the outside wall. The sound disturbing the almost eerie calm of the night. He didn't care, Bucky had more important things to worry about as he turned to face the furious green eyed girl.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Laura seethed as she confronted him. To get in her way like that, he had to be stupid. She could have attacked him! She could have killed him! The Winter Soldier didn't use to be this reckless.

Bucky beat down the smile that was trying to claw its way onto his lips, knowing it would probably start a fight. The anger and rage that had been trapped inside her in his dream was seething out of her and it reminded him that this was 'X'. He'd found her and she wasn't broken or dead, she was just different. She'd grown a bit since the time of his memory, maybe a little less than an inch taller than before. "I needed to talk to you"

Laura's anger melted into a strong defense as she scowled at him. "Well, you got my attention. What do you want to know?" That was the big question. What did he want from her? How much of his memories had he recovered? If he remember her, what else had he regained from his time at Hydra?

Bucky actually paused. What did he want to know? He been so consumed by the want to find her that he hadn't really thought about what he wanted from her. He'd mainly just wanted to make sure that she was okay but he figured that it would sound stupid to ask her such a simple question after the scene he'd just made.

Luckily, the awkward silence didn't drag on too long as another voice joined the conversation. "You can start with why you're out in the open?" They both snapped toward the sound of the new presence, further down the alleyway, and watched as Natasha and Steve stepped into said alley.

It was Natasha who had asked, seeing Buck struggle. She had also been the one to put two and two together and figure out which exit the dark haired girl was going to kick him out. Natasha had seen the way 'X's eyes had snapped onto the bouncer when Buck had grabbed her like an idiot. Being separated from the situation and watching from a distant, she could tell that 'X' wasn't looking to challenge him and no smart person would ignore the Winter Soldier when they stood in their path.

So she'd dragged a fretting Steve out the front door and round the side of the small building. She loved it when she was right. Now, she stood, maintaining eye contact with the green eyed girl, waiting for a response and watching as the anger slowly dissipated from her body language.

Laura processed the new arrivals quickly. More Avengers. She glanced at the Captain from the corner of her eye but kept her gaze firmly on the infamous Black Widow. They weren't in costume but she knew it was them. Not many normal folk were built like them. So Winter was working with more than just Iron man. It didn't particularly matter who he worked with, what did matter was what they wanted from her.

Leading Laura back to the Widow's question, causing a frown to appear on her face before she realised what that question meant to her. She turned back toward The Soldier. If he had all his memories he'd know the answer but he watched her as well, waiting for an answer. "You don't remember". It wasn't a question or even a statement, it was an acknowledgement.

And Buck felt suddenly inadequate, waves of self-pity ran through him at the sound of those three words. Was it so obvious that he hadn't recovered? Should he have waited to find her? Would it have been easier, if he remembered everything? None of his internal pain showed on the surface as he continued to stare at her expectantly. She sighed before turning back towards Natasha. "Hydra think I went MIA and they'll be busy with other matters at the moment." She glanced at Steve briefly before returning to Natasha. "I have nothing to fear".

"And if someone else comes after you, what then?" Steve questioned, arms crossed. He knew this talk meant a lot to Bucky but right now, Steve needed to remain objective.

He hadn't expected a smirk to crawl out her features "Then I'd wish them good luck, Captain Rogers" Laura turned back to face Winter but not before muttering under her breath "They'd need it". She caught the metal armed man's eyes easily, leaving no room for another question as she asked plainly "What do you remember?"

Bucky paused for a second, somewhat surprised that she'd taken control of the conversation. He didn't know if that was a good thing or not. "Meeting you. What happened in Belem?"

'X's eyebrows rose as did the others. He hadn't told Steve about the Acosta mission, deeming it to unimportant but now Bucky was curious.

"Nothing" Laura could tell that the answer caught the man by surprise. "It was a standard operation. Acosta wasn't as paranoid as they thought he'd be". She remembered the mission well, she remembered every introduction well. It was difficult to find another like The Winter Soldier, he was unique.

"Of course, you two would already be out here" The new but irritatingly familiar voice came from behind her and she turned to see a fed up looking, Tony Goddamn Stark.

"Your boss is a handful, lady" After trying to find Capsicle and Natalie, he'd bumped into Ford who felt that he should be blamed for the altercation that his bouncer had told him about. He obviously wanted compensation for distracting his employee. It took Tony sometime to lose the idiot in the crowd. "And looking for you, by the way"

Laura glared at the billionaire, mentally reminding herself to warn him against treating any of the other girls like he'd treated her. "Good, it will make breaking his arms easier to achieve."

Steve raised a disapproving eyebrow while Natasha grinned at the girl, finding her surprisingly likeable. Bucky on the other hand felt a small twinge of unease. She hadn't been this hostile in his dream, she'd been controlled and steady, and he wondered what could have cause this change in her. Was this the real her?

Stark appeared unfazed by her glare but decided to go stand near Steve, just in case. "Why are you working for the asshat, anyway?"

Laura frowned wondering if Stark's genius title should be revoked. "It pays well, better than other clubs"

"What do you need the money for?" Bucky questioned as he watched her, closely. He had only just realised that the night air was really quite cold as he caught Steve rubbing his still crossed arms. It had been un-noteworthy information until he remembered exactly what 'X' was wearing. So he watched her careful, seeing no sign that she was any colder than Steve. He'd have to ask about it later.

Laura's frown turned onto the ex-assassin, wondering why they were interrogating her on such trivial things. "Living expenses, it's not cheap to live in New York".

"But why work in um…this career?" Steve started off confident before floundering slightly so Natasha decided to step in as well.

"What he means is, why aren't you an assassin for hire?" She knew that is wasn't exactly what Steve meant but Nat liked Steve's arms and preferred them uninjured.

Laura's frown faded a bit, beginning to understand what they weren't getting. "Hydra think I'm MIA, probably dead. If I start leaving bodies in my wake they'll figure out that I'm not." That's not to say that she hadn't killed in over 10 years, because she had but it did mean that having employers who knew her reputation was a very bad idea.

"Then how about you move into the tower?" Everyone's heads snapped toward Tony as soon as the words left his mouth and a silence descended onto 4 of them as they realised what Tony had just proposed. Bucky was especially surprised, considering that the billionaire hated him. He'd questioned if Stark would even help him and now the man was offering his estranged friend a place to stay?

"What?" Laura had no idea how they got to this point in the conversation. When had she mentioned the need for accommodation because she was pretty sure that she hadn't?

"You know, Avenger tower? My-Our Tower…" Tony stumbled over his words but quickly corrected himself. "And before you ask, you won't have to pay rent or any other living expenses".

The other Avengers stared at Stark like some kind of imposter had taken his place as 'X's eyes narrowed at the man. "What's the catch?"

Tony smirked, enjoying the other's confusion and shock. "That depends…Do you like working here?"

Laura crossed her arms, feeling wary of what this condition was. She didn't exactly want to live in the same building as the Avenger team but she had to admit, zero living expenses sounded pretty appealing. She could save up money, instead of spending it on food. "Not particularly but money is money". She liked the dancing and the girls were nice but the patrons and Ford could die in a fire.

"Then my condition is quit."

Everyone seemed to have an opinion on that condition as people's voices seemed to overlap for a second.

"Tony what are you-?" Natasha was cut off.

"Stark..." Steve's warning growl was overpowered.

"What?" Laura looked at the 'genius' like he was mad. She had just said that she needed the money!

Bucky just watched Tony as the man revelled in the chaos he was causing, not understanding why he was doing any of this. He'd killed his parents. Tony hated him, it was a well-known fact so why do this?

Stark finally decided to address Natasha's question, smiling widely as he explained. "I'll hire her. Pep needs a bodyguard and she refused to have a sentry suit with her so Bodyguard…" Tony gestured toward 'X'. Personally, Stark thought this was an amazing idea and definitely worthy of gloating rights.

Personally Steve thought it was a stupid idea. "You don't even know her skill set, Tony".

"And what about Happy?" Natasha joined in, give the billionaire a stern look.

Stark merely rolled his eyes at them teaming up against him. "Happy's more like a chauffeur and plus he's practically part of the family, I don't want him to hurt himself".

"So you want her, just so she can take a bullet and you don't have to care?" Steve snarled, coming to the conclusion on his own. He didn't know why Tony thought this was a just punishment for Bucky but he'd be damned if he let it continue.

"Strange… I don't remember saying that"

"It's what you implied"

Laura watched as the two grown-ass-men had a full blown argument over a miscommunication and wondered if this happened often. If that was the case then life at Avenger Tower must have been hectic. Either way, she let them argue, taking the time to think over Stark's proposal. Free accommodation with no living expenses, only catch was she'd have to stop working for Ford and start working for Stark. Trading one self-indulged asshat for another.

But then again, she'd really be working for Pepper Potts. From the media Laura had seen on the woman, Miss Potts wasn't that bad a person and her only real fault was being in a relationship with Tony Stark. On top of that, Bodyguard was an easy job as long as your ward wasn't an idiot and Pepper Potts didn't seemed to be one. The thought that she might have to "take a bullet" didn't frighten her in the slightest plus she assumed that she'd be paid for her duties. If she negotiated it well then she could probably get more than Ford was paying her.

It was almost unfair how beneficial this deal was to her but then came the big obstacle.

She glanced at Winter to see him also watching the fight that now included the Black Widow as well. They'd be living in the same building and Laura wasn't stupid, she knew this deal had less to do with Stark and more to do with her old friend.

It had been 11 years since she'd put that life behind her. 11 years of recovery for her but 11 years of brainwashing and missions for him. His head had been messed up so many times that he barely remembered her. He barely remembered anything. It had to be hard on him and her heart constricted at the thought of him having to go through it alone.

His plight hit a little too close to home. The Avengers might be his allies for now but none of them had gone through the motions of finding an identity. She knew it was stupid to think that she could try and fix him but maybe she could help.

Her jaw clenched as her attention returned to the bickering Avengers, decision set. "I'll do it".

Whatever Steve had been saying was cut short as they all turned their attention onto her. "What?" It was Bucky who voiced the question on everyone's minds. He stared at her dumbfounded, observing the small smile on her face.

"I accept you're offer, Stark, and I agree to your terms as long as you pay me more than Ford" She looked forward to seeing the look on that idiot's face when she quit. Laura would miss the girls but she would have left in a couple of months anyway.

"How much does he pay you?" Tony was already walking forward with his hand held out to shake on it. It didn't really matter what Ford paid her, he could easily double it.

"9.29 an hour" It was a bit more than the minimum wage and Tony was actually a little saddened by the fact that she thought that was good pay for her job.

"Oh god, yes! We can discuss the final wage later" They shock hands, each looking quite pleased with the deal while everyone else was still adjusting to what was happening. "Right then!" Tony slapped his hands together, so pleased that he had now earned his gloating rights and he promised himself that he would save them for the best moments.

There was no way Pep could be angry with him when he'd just gotten her a new bodyguard. "Let's get this show on the road, shall we?"

He didn't receive an answer instead Natasha turned her attention to 'X'. "You're sure about this?" She watched the dark haired girl carefully, wondering if this woman knew what she was getting herself into.

"Not really but I'll give it a shot" Laura saw no reason to lie, it was probably useless to lie to the Black Widow anyway. If things went south then she could just leave, nothing could really stop her from doing so.

"Great! Now that we have that sorted, Renee can go quit and we can head home to celebrate". Bucky thought that Tony might already be a bit too merry for more "celebrations" but his main concern was 'X'. Did she understand what she'd agreed to? She was about to be thrust into the Avenger household and he could say from experience that it was difficult at times to keep up with them.

She was also about to be in the same household as him and he didn't know if she was going to be okay with that. "Renee…" He kept his voice stern, ready to ask if she was truly sure about what she was doing but she didn't give him a chance to continue.

"For starters, you can drop the name, Winter. It's fake. Call me Laura" She gave him a small smile, sending waves of nostalgia through him, but it quickly disappear at the sound of someone laughing. She turned to stare unimpressed at Stark, who was currently giggled like a child.

"Clint's going to enjoy that" The Black Widow smirked but that only succeeded in making Laura confused. Who was Clint?

Before she could ask her attention was drawn back to who she'd been talking to. "Bucky" Her old friend held out his flesh hand for her to shake but Laura ignored it as something clicked in her brain.

"Barnes?" She questioned, casting a glance back at Captain Rogers. Logan had told her tales about his time back in World War 2, just one or two. But one that he had regaled to her fondly was of his time with Captain Steven Rogers and the Howling Commandoes. He had described the strong bond Sargent Barnes and the Captain shared. But even Logan's words didn't compare to actually seeing them together in the 21st century.

She shock away her shock before shaking Barnes's hand, wondering what trouble this adventure would land her in.

* * *

 ** _AN:_ Looks like Laura is getting dragged into the Avengers world. Does she really know what she's getting into? Will she regret it?... Probably. **

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please fav, follow and review.**

 **Feedback will ward off psycho vampire nurses. Leave a comment and help protect me. Please!**

 **See you next week!**


	7. Chapter 7: Lion's Den

_**AN:**_ **I Slept In! AHHHHHHHHHH!**

 **Time to see how Laura is getting on. I'm taking a different spin on some of her developing relationships.**

 **Enjoy :)**

* * *

 ** _Chapter 7 - Lion's Den_**

Laura was a sucker for a comfortable bed. She'd been awake an hour but she still hadn't left the warmth of her new bed, content to just cherish this short time alone. But even the beautiful white and sky blue sheets were a reminder that her peace couldn't last.

She let out a deep breath, trying to relax but giving up quickly. The white ceiling taunted her as she glared at it, knowing that soon someone somewhere would ask for her and the voice in the ceiling would disturb her solitude.

She knew that most of the Avengers would be up, she knew for a fact that Rogers and Barnes were. Her guest room was on their floor and she'd caught their scents as they passed her door at 6 am and again at 8am. Judging by the potency of their odour, she guessed that they must have gone to the gym or something.

But Laura was trying really hard to pretend that she hadn't caught Bucky's scent lingering at her door and that she hadn't been lying awake since he'd left.

Internally she questioned what she was doing there. It had seemed like a good deal at the time. Free food, hot showers and a proper double bed just seemed too good to pass up.

But could she survive in the same household as Winter?

She could see his unease around her, she'd felt it last night. She'd been enjoying herself, she had finally been able to give Ford the beautiful black eye that he deserved when Barnes's mood had brought her down.

It had been the Captain that verbally stopped her from hurting the idiot more but she could see Bucky's inner turmoil at her actions.

She knew that she had changed since Hydra, but in all fairness so he had.

She sat up, running a hand through her hair. She couldn't get too settled here, it was too dangerous. Her eyes landed on her backpack that she'd grabbed the night before. It lay directly in front of her door, just in case. She could leave whenever she wanted. They'd probably try to stop her but no one could truly cage her, if she wanted out she'd get out.

"Miss. Laura?" She jumped before scolding herself for forgetting about the voice in the ceiling.

Natasha had informed her about the "computer butler" when they had arrived at the big posh Tower, much to Tony's disappointment. Apparently the ass had planned for the AI to scare her. "My apologies ma'am but Mr. Stark has asked for your presence in the communal kitchen."

She sighed, realising that her peace was over. "Tell him, I'm on my way, Jarvis". She felt like refusing but she did technically work for the man-child.

"I will, ma'am". Laura pushed away the covers and through her legs over the edge of the mattress. She sat for a second to take a calming breath.

However when she felt steady, she grabbed her jeans from the floor and tugged them on. She had slept in her underwear and grey vest top.

She didn't exactly own many clothes and she'd been desperate to get out of that stupid outfit so she had changed into her only change of clothes.

She grabbed her choker, putting it on as she made her way to the door. Laura nudged her bag out of the way with her foot as before entering into the hallway.

The floor that belonged to Rogers and Barnes was rather nice. It was basic and simplistic but functional. A long corridor held four bedroom doors before opening into a decent sized living room and mini kitchenette. Barnes's room was beside her one and Rogers was opposite.

She briskly marched into the elevator, still very much stuck in her own thoughts. She knew that her room's location was no coincidence and she was pretty sure on who her blame should be directed at. There had to be other floors with spare rooms and yet she ended up on the same floor as Barnes.

'Stark's such an ass'. She steadied herself with this thought, preparing herself for when the elevator door opened and she'd be faced with whoever was waiting there. She was dancing on thin ice but that was nothing new to her.

The doors opened and she walked casually through them, coming face to face with an empty luxurious living area. She frowned for a second at the lack of human life before catching the scent of multiple people and more importantly…Bacon.

She followed the aroma through an archway and finally came face to face with the Avengers. The sight was domestic and really…odd. Captain America stood in front of the stove, an apron hung around his neck as he fried Bacon and scrambled eggs. A random man with salt and pepper hair sat with his nose in a newspaper, sitting at the kitchen island with a tea cup in front of him. Romanoff sat opposite the man, wearing yoga pants and a baggy top and staring at her over her coffee cup. Barnes stood leaning on a counter near Steve as the man cooked, examining her subtly.

Laura had to admit she was grateful not to have everyone's eyes on her but she was a bit apprehensive about the argument going on in the room that no one seemed to be paying attention to. Stark leaned across the island counter giving some convoluted explanation to a very angry strawberry blonde haired woman.

Laura couldn't see the woman's face but she guessed that this was the famous Pepper Potts. Her conclusion was cut short by an internal groan as Stark's eyes caught her own.

"…And here she is! Lady of the hour!" Tony exclaimed, glad for a distraction from Pep's glare, rising to greet his new employee.

"You called for me, Mr. Stark?" Laura's voice remained stoic as she levelled a weak glare at the man. Oh how that man irritated her…

"Drop the 'Mr. Stark', its Tony and while we're making nice, that is Bruce over there, he's my Science Bro" Bruce looked up from his paper at the sound of his name to see himself being introduced. He looked at the person Tony hadn't shut up about all morning, offering her a conciliatory wave of greeting. Her attention strayed onto him and gave a nod in return, before going back to glaring at Tony. The doctor went back to his paper but paused thoughtful as he felt the other guy slowly shifting under the surface. "…and you already know who this is…" Tony made his voice as happy as possible, remembering Laura's threat from last night.

Pepper rose from her seat quickly, taking a step towards the dark haired girl. Everyone watched on carefully as Pep greeted the enigma. "Hi, don't mind him, he's a conceited child". Laura put her hand forward to shake, see the woman twitching for the familiar action. She was about to speak up but the CEO continued "I know Tony made a deal with you but I don't require a bodyguard so we can renegotiate if you like". Laura watched the woman strangely, raising an eyebrow in curiosity and wondering if the woman really meant what she was saying.

Tony interrupted before Laura could get a word in edge ways. "Come on, Pep! Of course, you need a bodyguard!"

The ginger woman whirled round to snap at her boyfriend. "What about Happy? You better not be thinking of firing him." The warning in the woman's voice surprised Laura, Miss. Potts appeared to be a force to be reckoned with.

"Of course, not! But Happy's the head of security, he can't be at your side all the time." Stark argued as everyone watched the argument like it happened all the time. Mostly because it did.

"I don't need someone with me all the time!" Pepper seethed as she glared up at the billionaire.

"You kind of do." Pep's glare intensified, causing Stark to sigh deeply "Listen, What if…the tower was attacked and I wasn't here to protect you".

There was a pause as everyone waited for Pepper to retaliate but she didn't. She merely stared into Tony's eyes, seeing past the mask and seeing the pain inside. She had to admit, since becoming his girlfriend, she had become directly attached to the rich superhero and there for more in danger than ever. The thought of being attacked should of scared her more but she trusted Tony and the rest of the Avengers. She could see, however, that the hypothetical danger hurt Tony more than he was will to admit around the others.

"Surely, your AI would be alerted by an attack…" Everyone was shocked when a voice interrupted the standard Stark Potts argument, they were flabbergasted when they realised that it had been Laura who interrupted.

Tony frowned at her words. "Well yeah but my defences aren't perfect. They could theoretically be bypassed, not easily mind you." He watched as Natasha nodded in confirmation and glared at the 'Evil super spy lady'.

"Then I agree with Miss. Potts." Bucky watched X carefully, surprised and wary that she was taking a side in all this. "If your AI can alert me to the problem then I can deal with it. She doesn't need someone by her side all the time".

Pepper smiled at the younger woman but held a concerned gaze with her. "Are you sure you don't mind?" The way Tony had explain it, it had sounded like she made a deal with the devil or something. Pepper wasn't exactly happy with the idea of a bodyguard crowding around her but Laura didn't fit the "men in black" image she'd had in her head. And if it made Tony less stressed then she could get on board with it.

Laura shrugged "As long as I get paid, I don't mind". There was a part of her that missed the thrill of the fight and a part of her that just wanted the money. The other parts were things that she'd chosen to ignore for now.

The spark of stubbornness left Pep's eyes. "OK". She watched amused as Tony's eyes lit up. "We'll try it". Tony smiled giddily as he swooped in to steal a kiss from his gorgeous girl. Pepper laughed against his lips at his behaviour before pulling away. She blushed lightly, remembering that the other Avengers were in the room while pushing her boyfriend towards his seat. "Sit down, your coffee's getting cold".

Tony's eyes gleamed at his girl before they shifted to their guest. "Help yourself to coffee, Kid" He directed his words to Laura, who he'd realised, had been standing in the same spot through the entire argument. The dark haired girl nodded, walking toward the coffee machine that she had spotted next to Barnes.

Bucky watched her out of the corner of his eye as she got a cup and poured herself a drink. She hadn't met his eye when she walked past him, he noted.

In all honesty, he was struggling to know how to act around her. He had a very weak grasp on how they acted towards each other back at Hydra and it was bugging him that she wasn't giving him any clues to that question.

"Hey, Laura…" The voice made both Bucky and Laura jump. Laura hadn't expected Barnes to talk to her while side-staring at her but she quickly realised that it was Rogers who had spoken. "Would you like some eggs and bacon? I've made extra" His voice was steady but still friendly.

"Yes, thank you". She replied politely, remembering exactly who she was talking to. She held a certain amount of respect for the Captain, from what she knew he was a good man and would most likely feel unnerved by demands from her. She didn't know much about the 40's but she knew enough.

Steve dished up the food, passing it past Bucky an into Laura's hand. Bucky felt just a little bit uncomfortable with her closeness but watched her as she went to eat at the island.

He'd expected for her to be wary of the food, like he had been (and still was to a degree) when he'd first arrived here but she tucked in, not even smelling it to check if it was poisoned. He thought have her around would lead to more answers but it just created more confusion in his mind.

Laura had picked to sit on the end of the island, having calculated and guessed where everyone else was either sitting or planning on sitting. The end seat also had more room and was further way from the other avengers, the closest to her being Miss Potts.

She bit into a piece of bacon as she felt eyes on her. It wasn't Barnes, he was probably still recovering from "almost" being caught staring but everyone else at the table looked engaged in their own thing. The new one, Bruce, read the paper while Potts scrolled through a tablet, Romanoff ate her food and Tony inhaled his. It was as Steve passed Miss. Potts a plate that Laura managed to catch the Widow's eyes.

The gaze was dissecting and disappeared a second later but it unnerved the dark haired woman. She'd heard things about the Black Widow, hushed frightened words between doctors back when she was growing up so the woman's attention unsettled her.

In the peaceful silence, it was hard to believe that these were the Avengers, they acted more like a family. She was uncomfortable with how comfortable it was. "Sir, Project 'Sparkle' has been a success…" Jarvis's voice sounded almost disheartened as he softly broke the silence.

The Avengers were immediately wary at the AI's tone and that only grew worse as Tony grinned widely. "What have you done?" Bruce questioned putting his paper down for the moment. He knew all the experiments they had running down in the lab and 'Project Sparkle' was not one of them.

"Incoming" Jarvis's voice warned moments before a new voice shattered the peace.

"STARK!" The sound of bare feet storming across the living area reached their ears before Clint came into view. He stood in the archway, arms crossed, glaring poisonously at the inventor. Even those without enhanced vision could see that a layer of pink glitter covered the angry man's t-shirt and jogger bottoms.

Everyone had a really hard time containing their laughter as Clint seethed at the openly laughing billionaire. "Shouldn't have been in the vents, Birdy" the Inventor managed to get out between laughing fits.

"Shut up, Stark" Clint fumed before sulking his way over to the fridge. He would've hit the jerk but Steve would've stopped him before he could reach Tony. He'd just have to make him pay later.

"Don't go scrounging for food, you have breakfast on the way" Steve softly reprimanded the archer, feeling sorry for the man.

Clint paused before he closed the fridge, deciding to take heed of Steve's words. Instead he chose to lean against the nearby wall and glare daggers at Tony while he waited for his food.

Tony merely rolled his eyes at the glare. "Come on, Legolas. Don't be a sour puss." He said smirking before dramatically pouting. The archer's glare intensified. "Here, let me make it up to you!" Tony rose from his seat, making Clint's glare turn curious. "Meet our newest housemate!" Tony went to place his hand on Laura's shoulder but saved himself before he made that mistake.

Laura turned in her seat to face the glittery stranger. She couldn't gauge his name form the conversation so far but nicknames such as "Birdy" and "Legolas" had brought her to the conclusion that this was Hawkeye.

"Hi, I'm Clint" The archer greeted stepping forward to shake the girl's hand. He could guess that this was the elusive "X", her resemblance to Steve's drawing was uncanny.

"Laura" They shook hands as Clint huffed out a laugh.

"Your surname better not be Barton or I'm calling bullshit" First Rhodey and Barnes, and now this.

Laura could feel the other Avengers perk up a bit as she hesitated for a second. "It's Kinney, actually" She decided, feeling irritated at the corner she'd been forced into.

She usually used her father's surname when around people she didn't trust and the Avengers fell into that category. They may be the good guys but she wasn't exactly a saint. The only person in the room that she felt that she could trust, if forced to, was the Captain. She barely knew the man but Logan could only speak well of him and at the end of the day Logan was a better judge of character than she was. Captain America was a good man and, annoyingly, the reason she couldn't lie about her name.

The man had a good memory and she couldn't risk him recognising the name "Howlett". The two men's time fighting together had been short but she couldn't risk it, it would lead to questions.

And she couldn't not give a name because that would also lead to questions. So she just had to hope that they didn't recognise her mother's name.

The air grew awkward as the Avengers either wondered if that information was true or wondered why she'd hesitated. The awkwardness was only lessened when Steve turned to hand Clint his breakfast and the Archer cut the greeting short to go grab a seat and dig in, much to Laura's relief. She turned back to her food to find Romanoff's eyes once again on her but this time they held her gaze. Laura felt dread run down her spine.

"Are those the clothes you were wearing last night?" Natasha knew they were. She'd noted this fact when the dark haired girl had entered the kitchen and she had some theories on why the woman hadn't changed.

"Yes" Laura didn't even bother looking down at her clothes before answering. She knew her vest top had a few wrinkles in it from having slept in it.

"Do you not have another set?" Everyone was a bit shocked that Bucky had spoken up and over such a weird topic.

Laura turned to make eye contact with him, wondering why he'd chosen to join the conversation. "Not with me, why does it matter?"

The others could feel the air between the two getting tenser by the second. "We can drop you off at your place to get more".

The stare off between the two ended abruptly as Laura adverted her eyes for a second, wondering how on earth she was going to lie her way around this. "You don't need to go to the trouble".

"It's no trouble" Steve interrupted, wanting to break the awkwardness and tension that was enveloping the kitchen. "You'll also need to talk to your landlord if you're going to stay here". Laura winced slightly, knowing that she was slowly being trapped into this conversation.

Laura's wince was subtle but not subtle enough to escape Nat's expert eye. "Where were you staying?" She could tell something was up but wasn't about to confront the girl on it, trusting that the woman would explain eventually.

Laura thought about lying for a split second before meeting the red head's eye and realising that Natasha probably knew and would definitely call out a blatant lie. So instead she stabbed some egg and ate it to appear casual while answering "There's a place on 21st, windows are boarded up, except for one round the back. It used to be a warehouse or something"

"You were squatting" Clint stated more than questioned with a mouth full of bacon.

"Which explains why I couldn't find an address under you name" Tony supplied as he took out his phone and started to search for the location out of pure curiosity. They probably won't need to go there seeing as Laura didn't seem fussed about anything at the site.

"Wait, so that means that you don't have anything?" Pepper's voice held a mountain of concern for the younger girl. She couldn't imagine how hard it must be to be homeless.

Laura merely shrugged at her concern, finding it a tad odd. "I have my emergency pack, I don't need anything else." She didn't see the problem. Sure squatting was technically against the law but she wasn't doing it anymore so they couldn't arrested her for it.

A strange mixture of pity and pride ran through Bucky at her words. It was sad that she had to live like that but at the same time she'd been surviving and looked neither malnourished nor worse-off for it.

"Well, it's settled then, we'll go clothes shopping tomorrow" Pepper said determinedly, ignoring how the colour drained from Laura's face as she turned to the other woman present. "Natasha, you up for it?"

Natasha grinned widely, sending even more dread through Laura. "Oh definitely".

"I don't have money to waste on clothes" Laura tried to talk her way out of this. She wasn't exactly fond of shopping and the thought of doing it with two women, who were probably miles better at shopping than her, wasn't appealing.

"Of course not, that's why we'll be using Stark's card" Natasha replied not wanting to give Laura a way to back out. The trip could be a good opportunity to get a good read on the girl. The beginnings of a plan started to form in her head as she had a silent conversation with Clint.

"That's settled then" Pep announced raising from her chair with her empty place. She passed it to a smiling Steve who placed it in the sink before leaning down to peck Tony on the check. "I've got a meeting with the Western branch in half an hour so I'll see you later" She explained to Tony before addressing the two ladies while heading for the door "We'll head off after breakfast so be ready for then".

Laura looked to Tony, waiting for him to protest before Pepper left but he didn't. The smug bastard let his girlfriend walk out and merely smirked at her.

"In fact…" Clint spoke up drawing their attention. "Why don't we make it a group thing? I'm needing some new t-shirts and joggers because there is no way these are ever going to be clean again" He scowled at Tony but the man only seemed to agree with his proposal.

"Yeah sure, maybe we can even meet up with the girls for lunch. I'm sure I can rent some place out for a few hours". Tony knew it would cost a couple hundred to do so but he could easily afford it. Mostly he just wanted to see Laura after she'd been dragged around 50 different shops. He took pleasure from the small things in life…

"I think I'll pass…" Bruce said carefully. He'd just watched the ex-assassins have a secret conversation and he didn't particularly want to be mixed up in whatever they had planned. "I'm not good with crowds".

'Neither am I but I'm being forced into it' Laura thought, irritated that she was being forced into this day trip.

"You game, Cap?" Clint asked, shovelling some eggs into his mouth.

Steve hesitated for a second, glancing sideway at Bucky. Usually Bucky went where he went, unless he was being called out on a mission. However Buck wasn't watching to see what he'd chose to do, instead his gaze was firmly on a very unamused Laura. Even if the metal armed man didn't want to buy anything, he'd probably want to keep an eye on her. "Sure, why not?"

Bucky looked at his friend after hearing his reply, catching his eyes as the blonde man silently asked if he was okay with it. Barnes despised shopping, probably more than Laura appeared too. He'd only been shopping once, a few months back. Steve had taken him so as to "expose him to new environments" or something, it ended with him being over-whelmed, frustrated and extremely paranoid.

However, Bucky silently replied positively to Steve's unasked question. He wanted to keep an eye on her. He knew he was probably being obsessive but he wanted to remember more. He could feel this tug of kinship inside him whenever he saw her and he wanted context for that feeling of brotherhood.

"Okay so minus Brucie that's everyone, can't wait" Tony clapped his hands, taking so much pleasure in how annoyed Laura looked. She was quickly becoming his favourite person to mess with. She wasn't even close to beating Cap and Clint yet but she was rising up the ranks.

Laura gritted her teeth, resisting the urge to punch the billionaire through the wall. She realised that she could simply refuse to go but she also realised that Miss. Potts probably didn't want her standing around in a vest and jeans while on the job. Which horribly meant that she'd probably end up suit shopping as well. But it wasn't going to cost her money, only energy and sanity. She rose from her seat empty plate in hand, ready to escape and go hide out on Barnes and Rogers's floor.

But of course, Stark wasn't going to make her life any easier. "And before you run off, sweet cheeks, I've got a job for you" He said biting into a piece of bacon as she glared at him.

Steve met her half way, taking the plate off her before she thought of smashing over Tony's head.

Laura wished she'd thought of that before as she lowered herself back into her seat. "What job?" She questioned, continuing to try and burn holes through him with her glare.

"Well, it's less a job and more of a request or proposal…" Tony had to admit that her glare was impressive, not Natasha or Fury impressive but still something.

"Spit it out" She kept her tone even and steady. Knowing that the billionaire wasn't worth her anger. He irritated her but her anger was reserved for those who truly got under her skin.

"We have a training arena, little thing I invented about a year ago, still a bit experimental. It simulates a fight but instead of squishy people, it uses robots" Tony continued to explain, ignoring the reprimanding looks coming from Romanoff and Rogers. "There's simulations for everyone, even Cyborg over there. I want to see what you're capable of".

"Tony…" The Captain's tone would've almost been disappointed if it wasn't so annoyed. He had to admit that he wanted to know her capabilities as well but Tony should learn to ask people instead of ordering them about.

"What?" Tony turned to find the bulky blonde scowling at him. "I've hired her, I should know what I've bought!"

"What the hell, Stark?! That's no way to talk about anyone, let alone someone you've invited into your house" Clint spoke up, not really wanting Bucky's ex-Hydra buddy to kill Stark in his sleep. On second thoughts…

"These robots…" Laura asked calmly, being more intrigued than angry. She could kill Tony later, right now she wanted to know more about this training arena. "You beat them up and then what?"

Everyone, even Tony, was shocked that she was asking questions about the training room. "They get added to your score and the leftovers get swept into a secondary level, where they get smelted down and made into new one. It's actually very efficient…"

Laura processed his words. So they were recycled, meaning she could wail on them as hard as she wanted without consequence. Unfortunately, it also sounded like there'd be a lot of robot pieces littering the floor so no boots wasn't an option. Good thing they were going shopping tomorrow. "And there's simulations for everyone?"

"Not for Pepper, obviously but everyone else does" Tony began to smile, feeling hopeful that Laura would agree.

"And how much are you willing to pay me if I can beat your level, Stark?" Tony was stunned into silence for a second as he watched a smirk grow onto her face.

Laura was actually gambling with him. "Well, someone's confident." Tony laughed as the others became a bit unnerved by the sudden change in Laura's mood. "50 bucks"

"100" Laura countered Tony's offer, wanting to make a nice profit.

"Done" Tony replied quickly before shaking on it, not wanting Captain no-fun to stop them.

* * *

 ** _AN:_ What did you guys think of the chapter? I'm not too keen on the start. Also thought's on X23's attitude to Cap.**

 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please Fav, Follow and Review.**

 **Feedback helps me wake up on time. More Reviews = Posting on time.**

 **See you next week!**


	8. Chapter 8: Art of War

**_AN:_ Back from the Doctors! Blood were clean so I definitely don't have the Zombie Virus. I've been set a "bedtime"...It's fair to say that I'm sick of being treated like a 4 year old.**

 **LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE! Arena Time! How will Laura do against Tony's invention!?**

 **Enjoy :)**

* * *

 _ **Chapter 8 - Art of War**_

"Do we all really need to be here?" Clint questioned from his perch on one of the counters.

All present Avengers had been called to the Training Arena after breakfast and now all stood in the control station which over looked the arena. Tony whizzed around the consoles, getting his invention ready while Laura stretched down in the large arena. He paused to check that the control station microphone was muted before answering the archer, "Yes".

"Why?" Steve asked aspirated by the billionaire. First, he bets with Laura to get her into the experimental arena and now he expected them to watch his little game.

The genius made one last check that the machine was ready before turning towards them with a sigh. He knew they'd want an explanation, not for the call to assemble, but for why he was so interested in the girl. He figured that if he just explained everything they'd understand why he'd called them. He leaned against the console before turning toward Barnes. "Last night, when I came outside I managed to catch the end of something". Barnes was a little shocked that Stark was talking to him directly. "Something about 'Acosta'".

Everyone's eyes went to Bucky, waiting for an answer. "My memory. After we were introduced, we were sent on a mission. Acosta was the name of the target" Bucky explained wondering why this was any concern to Stark.

"That's what I thought and how old was 'X' in this memory?" Tony questioned turning back around and bringing up the files he had open last night.

"I don't know" Bucky was becoming a bit defensive, not understanding why Tony felt the need to interrogate him now.

"Guesstimate" Tony forced a smile on his face to try and make the man more willing to give him the information.

Bucky sighed feeling like he was being put on the spot. "Young, between 16 and 18"

"Okay, well, you see, I did some digging." Tony punctuated his point by tapping a button on the console, causing all the files he'd been looking at in the early hours of the morning fly onto the screen. There had to be thousands of them. "I figured that 'Acosta' had been one of your…victims." Stark struggled over the word but continued before Steve could look disappointed at him. "So I started to look back to find this guy, figured it would've been recent seeing as little miss mystery looks barely old enough to drink. But I kept going back further and further, and no one matched your MO until…"

Tony pressed another button and all the files disappeared except for one. "Fernando Acosta, died aged 52, he was a gang leader or something. Police record longer than most and a few trips to jail for possession and assault". Bucky looked at the man's jail photo, a spark of recognition and guilt ran through him. He might have been a bad person but still… "However, what makes him important is that he was killed in Belem… back in 2000."

"That doesn't add up" Natasha said stepping forward to get a closer look at the profile. The other woman clearly didn't look much older than 22. Even when Nat had lent her some workout clothes for this training session, she'd noted that the girl filled out her clothes like a teen would fill out woman's clothes.

"She'd be in her late 20's". Bruce pointed out becoming interested.

"At least!" Tony exclaimed. He'd spent a good 2 hours trying to find a reasonable explanation before Pep forced him to go to bed.

There was a pause as everyone proceeded the information. "Couldn't she have been put in cryo?" Clint questioned. Steve and Barnes were meant to be in their 90's but their still looked mid-twenties so why couldn't she have been given the same treatment.

"That's one of my theories, one of the more boring ones" Tony sighed looking down at the stretching girl. She was a puzzle to him, one he wanted to crack. He was so lost in his thoughts that it actually took him a second to realise that she wasn't stretching anymore.

In fact she was staring directly at the control station. "I'm waiting, Stark" Laura could hear them talking up in their little box, she couldn't make out what they were talking about but she could hear their muffed voices. The box must've been partly sound-proofed.

The Avengers jumped slightly when her voice filtered through the speakers. "Let's get this show on the road, shall we?" Tony posed the question to his teammates, finger hovering over the microphone button.

The genius's eyes travelled from person to person, silently asking them if they had any more to say. Everyone remained silent and in thought until he glanced at Bucky. "What's the point of this?" Bucky didn't have an answer for the new question Stark had come up with but he did now know where Tony stood on his friend. If the inventor was going to use Laura as some weird experiment then he and Buck were going to have another problem.

Tony just shrugged at the tense question. "Curiosity mostly but it might test out some of those theories". He didn't give the ex-assassin any time to counter his words as he held down the microphone button. "Okay, 'X', I'm gonna start off nice and easy."

Laura smirked before shrugging it off. Confidence had no place on the battlefield. "Whatever". It unnerved her slightly to be in the large metal room, reminded her a tad too much of her training sessions at the Facility. But she reasoned with herself that this wasn't going to be like those times, she couldn't hurt anything but herself here.

A whirling sound started to come from the metal plated floor around her and Laura watched in a daze as different panel's rose from the ground, shifting into place as they came up to become walls. Within seconds she was looking down a newly constructed corridor. She had to admit, it was impressive.

"This is one of Dory's easier levels, very simple, just clean the place out." It took Laura a second to connect the nickname with the person but when she did, she hoped for Tony sake that Barnes hadn't seen that movie yet. "It focuses on stealth more than brute strength, think you can handle that, sweetie?"

She would have snorted at the mere thought of not being able to handle a simple stealth mission but she was already easing herself into the X23 mind-set. And that meant that this was not a game. It was a test and failure wasn't an option.

Tony just managed to catch the small nod she gave and took it as confirmation. "Okay, Start". He stated projecting the arena feeds onto the windows for the others to watch.

Laura stalked forward, carefully at first until she got her bearings. She quickly realised that her enhanced sense of smell wasn't going to be any use to her. These robots mustn't have had any scent because all she could smell was cold metal.

Despite this hiccup she kept advancing, only stopping when she reached the end of the corridor. She didn't have to look to know that something was around the corner. The junction only went in one direction and she could hear the movement at what must have been the next junction. She could make out footsteps but on top of that she could hear the hydraulics inside them working away.

There was two from what she could hear so she decided to stand and wait for a second to try and figure out what they were doing. She tracked their movements in her head, memorising the repetitive path. They were patrolling and their corridor was short. 'Ponder and deliberate before you make a move'.

Their path probably started at the ends to cover any adjoining corridors before meeting in the middle to check the corridor she was about to enter.

She'd need to take them by surprise. If she attack when they were in the middle she could take two out at once but they'd spot her coming. If she waiting for them to reach the ends they'd be separated but she'd get caught between them. She'd have to time this well.

She listened for when they meet in the middle and then counted down the seconds. She got to five before they started to move again and her body turned the corner before breaking into a sprint. She reached the end of the corridor within seconds, only having milliseconds to analyse her opponents.

She chose to deal with one on the left first, taking a step up behind it. Her hands reached out to gain a firm grasp on the inventions head before using all her strength to snap its neck to the side. She had to admit that she wasn't expecting it to break off into her hands, thinking it would be sturdier than human neck.

She didn't have time to worry about it though as her ears picked up on the whirling of hydraulics behind her. She spun around quickly, hurling the dismembered head of its comrade at it as a distraction. It worked, hitting the robot in the face before it could fire off the shot it had been lining up.

She took the opportunity, grabbing a hold of the pistol, unleashing her claws effortlessly and bring the blades down onto the creations arm. It cut clean through, the forearm and gun clattering to the ground. Laura held onto the other remaining hand, using it as leverage to kick it in the face.

Impressively, the machine reacted to the hit bringing its dismembered arm up to try and protect itself. It gave Laura a clear opening to flip it onto its back before sending her claws through its chest. The whirling sound died out, leaving Laura in silence as she knelt beside the fallen robot, barely even out of breath.

The Avengers sat in silence as well but not the same kind. The silence waited for someone to break it but nobody did when they watched Laura snap a robots head off or when they saw her produce knives from her fist. "What?" Clint was the first to get his mind clear enough to form a sentence. "How?" Even if that sentence wasn't very complex.

"J, bring up her scans and give me the scans from a second ago". Tony came back to life, tapping buttons on the console and pulling full body scans onto the window screen.

"Certainly, sir" new scans appeared on the screen and Bruce stepped forward to get a closer look.

"You have body scans of her?" Steve asked not approving of Stark's nosiness but reluctantly having to admit that it was coming in handy.

"I had J scan her when she entered the building, he picked up on these abnormalities in her limbs. I figured it would be a bolt from a broken arm or something but then I saw this." He spread his hands across the window holograph, zooming in on part of the scan.

A light blue 3D outline of Laura's forearm stood out against the clear glass window, two long thin navy blue objects could be seen within the outline. "J, cross reference these, show me what's happening, buddy"

"It appears that by flexing the Extensor digitorum and carpi muscles, Miss Kinney can push the foot long blades from her forearm and into her hand". The diagram began to animate, showing what Jarvis was describing and everyone watched, feeling somewhere between amazed and queasy. Except for Buck. While he was, of course, amazed by Laura's abilities, he also felt an odd concoction of anger, nostalgia and pride.

"Well, that's new…" Tony supplied. He had thought that maybe the blades had been implanted into her, to be removed and used as last-resort, emergency weapons. But even then the blades were pretty deep in her flesh.

"That's not possible, those blades would have to cut through muscles, ligaments, even bone to come out like that." Bruce explained, pinching the bridge of his nose. He could feel the Hulk stirring and it was starting to worry him.

He had a good hold on his alter ego and he had enough faith in himself to know that he wouldn't make a surprise appearance but he wasn't normally this active. Bruce was beginning to become worried about the cause of the other guy's mood swing.

"Sorry to interrupt but training bot 197 is approaching Miss Kinney's position" Jarvis pointed out, causing Tony to minimise the scan, revealing that Laura was launching herself into another fight.

Laura had giving herself a few seconds to recover and gather information. She looked down at the robot carcase at her feet, removing her claws from its torso. She didn't know much about robotics but these things sure did look impressive.

They were constructed mostly from a reasonable light but durable metal. Laura couldn't name it but it sure wasn't strong enough to withstand Adamantium. The machines also didn't have features, instead their faces were a smooth clear plastic or glass that she'd managed to crack when she'd kicked it.

She snapped out of her analysis as the sound of more footsteps echo down the left corridor. Laura scolded herself, realising that she'd let the first bot fall over after she'd beheaded it. The clatter must have alerted more.

She crept over to the left corridor, having to step over the headless robot slightly to get herself flat against the wall.

This next one was advancing down the corridor quickly, probably reacting to seeing the downed comrade at the end. Laura took a steadying breath as she waited for him to be in position.

'Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected'. So she waited until he was only feet away from his fallen comrade before acting.

She used the dead bot's body as a springboard, bouncing off it and round the corner. She gave herself enough speed and lift to wrap an arm around the new opponent's neck, her feet connecting with the wall to push herself over the robot's shoulder. She wrapped her legs around its waist and sent her claws through its neck. The whirling of hydraulics died out and she had to jump down quickly to avoid crashing to the floor with it. Laura winced at the noise it made, cursing herself for forgetting not to let him drop. She was never really good at stealth.

She jumped as a loud whirling sound reached her ears, getting into a defensive position but relaxed as she realised that the walls were descending. She flipped backward as the ground she was standing on began to tilt and watched as the robot bodies tumbled into a gap into the floor. She waited until the noise had stopped before looking up at the control station expectantly. "Impressive" she begrudgingly admitted.

Tony smirked before tapping the microphone button. "I agree, you are pretty good at this". Tony was more than a bit impressed with what she'd displayed so far and he wondered what other hidden talents she had. "You ready for more?"

She allowed herself to smirk, feeling energised. She didn't often get to practice like this, she could never truly push herself with normal sparring but with this she didn't have to hold back. "Born ready"

"Okay, I was going to ease you into this but it looks like you've got the hang of it. So let's skip to the main event" Laura's attention snapped away from the control station as the whirling started again but this time it didn't last as long. Laura span round as a number of enemies rose out of the ground in a circle around her. She was literally surrounded. "Start"

"Tony, that's one of your harder levels" Natasha said almost too calmly as they watched Laura dodge multiple attacks from all angles.

"And?" Tony snorted, knowing exactly what Nat was concerned about but he had his reasons.

The widow hadn't used the arena much, preferring to spar with a human being instead but she had looked over the different levels and knew them pretty well. "It's waves of enemies and they have guns". Natasha's anger spiked as she realised that Tony was actually putting 'X's life in danger just to win a bet.

"She can handle it" However Tony knew his reassurance was going to do nothing. Yes, he realised that this was dangerous but he wasn't an idiot. He was a genius! And this was simply another test.

Unfortunately his reassurance fell on deaf ears as they watched Laura skewer a bot and use its body as a shield while 4 bots started to shower her with bullets. Sparks flew as the bullets ricocheted off its armour, a few lucky shots hitting weak points in bot's structure and causing serious damage. By the time their clips were empty, the robot carcase was falling to pieces causing Laura to dispose of it.

"Tony…" Steve warned. He didn't know what had gotten into the billionaire but he needed to stop the program.

"She's fine" Tony had to admit even he was getting a bit edgy now. His levels didn't seem as intense when he was in his suits. He just prayed that his theory was correct.

The tension in the room was thick, focus switching between the screens and Tony, wondering who would break first Tony or Laura. "She needs to take out the guns" Bucky stated with a gut feeling that Laura knew that fact. Her eyes locked on the robots as they reloaded, but she didn't even get two steps before more troops descended upon her, forcing her to deal with them.

Natasha winced as the dark haired girl got cut off by the newcomers. Tony's training bots were intelligent, they didn't fire when allies were engaging and they attacked when reloading. They were expert level units and that made them really quite dangerous. However, Laura was actually faring well considering.

The dark haired woman took chunks out of the machines, defeating the ones she engaged within seconds. She made light work of them, flipping away when she was done with that wave and unfortunately landed right into the attack range of a particularly large one. She received a metal boot to the chest, causing everyone to tense as it pushed her back some way. They watched with baited breath as she rose steadily, breathing hard. "J?" Tony asked knowing the AI would know what he wanted.

"Miss Kinney's collarbone has been fractured, sir"

"Tony." Steve had enough of this madness, ready to order Tony to stop the program and get Laura some help. But the words died in his throat as movement brought his attention back to the screen.

Eyebrows rockets as Laura let out a yell of anger before rushing the brute. The large bot got into a defensive pose but she had clearly predicted that. She leapt at the last possible second, one foot jumping onto its bent knee, the other unsheathing its claw and using the momentum, cut all the way up the robot's torso. She back flipped away, landing perfectly just as the bot began to crumble.

The Avengers gaped, all dazed by what had just occurred, except for Tony. "J, cross reference that. That explains the blades in her feet." The genius pulled his scans back up, watching amazed as Jarvis animated what had just happened. "How's she doing that?" Tony had to admit that Bruce was right, those blades had to be going through her foot and wrist bones.

"Using her Dorsai Interossei and Extensor Hallucis Brevis muscles. But Sir, there is something I've…" Jarvis's urgent tone was cut short by an even more urgent shout.

"Tony!" Clint alerted, shooting up from his seat. He'd been watching the feeds and keeping an eye on the gunbots. They'd reloaded and were ready to fire.

The other's got to their feet in horror but it was Steve who rushed forward to the "genius's" side. "Tony, shut it down!"

Laura seemed to realise her predicament about the same time they did, turning to see the 4 robots with their guns aimed at her and only seconds away from firing. Bucky watched on as she brought her claws up to shield her head and chest, confused as to why he wasn't panicking more. The situation almost seemed too surreal to react to but there was something inside Bucky's mind that was at complete ease about it.

Tony panicked, searching the console for the emergency stop but knowing he wouldn't find it in time. His head snapped up as the shots sounded. Steve didn't waste a single second, running out the door, closely followed by Natasha and Clint.

The three remaining Avengers stayed in the room. Two continued to watch the feed, while Bruce turned away, not wanting to witness this. And one paled at the thought that he'd just killed someone. Just to prove a wild theory and win a bet.

"Look" Tony's head snapped to his left to see Barnes standing next to him. The man stared blankly at the feed and Stark chanced a look. He expected to see a limp, lifeless Laura lying dead*, but he didn't.

The rain of bullets continued but Laura still stood, arms raised, claws out, protecting her head and chest. The guns finally ran out of ammo and the arena went deathly silent as Laura lowered her arms to her sides.

Blood ran down the blades in rivers before trickling away to an occasional drip and the tense silence was broken by the fall and clatter of metal bullets. The training bots backed up, trying to put distance between themselves and the opponent.

"Nice try" The taunt came through gritted teeth seconds before Laura launched herself at the 4 remaining bot.

Her knees slammed into the chest of one of them, send it falling backwards, only getting a second to rest before having two claws rammed through its temple.

A robotic hand clamped down onto her arm but the arm was quickly removed and Laura continued to cut as she stood. First taking off its forearm, then its shoulder and finishing with its head.

She didn't give the beheaded body time to fall, instead shoving it backwards a number of feet and into its comrade. Laura stalked forward, kicking her footclaw through the prone robot's skull.

Her eyes snapped up to the last one to see that it had managed to reload. She closed the gap quickly but not before it could let off a round. Her arm lashed out on instinct, claws slicing and ricocheting the bullets away from her.

Once she was in range she cleaved the gun in half before placing her fist just underneath it's jaw and sending her claws through it's face. She dodged to the side, letting it fall before doubling over to catch her breath.

The control station remained silent as they tried to process what they'd just seen. They watched Laura as she panted, taking in large amounts of oxygen. But she was still breathing.

A banging on the large door of the arena wrenched them all away from their tranquillity. "Sir, Captain Rogers is asking for access to the arena while the program is still running". Jarvis reported, voice quiet and laced with traces of concern, probably trying to knock them out of the shock.

"Patch me through to them…" Tony uttered, still many shades paler than he should be.

"Stark, open the goddamn door!" Clint's voice held a lot of anger but at the same time contained a certain amount of disbelief and confusion.

"You're not gonna believe this" Tony's dazed tone must have stunned them into silence because nobody countered him. "J".

The large door opened and the three Avengers began to run in only for it to shift into a jog and then to stop completely. They blinked at the girl who stood smirking at them while panting softly. For a second it crossed their minds that maybe she'd managed to evade being shot but then they took in her clothes or to be correct, Natasha's clothes.

They were riddled with bullet holes and drenched in crimson but no wounds could be seen on the woman who followed their gaze and looked down at herself. "I owe you a set of workout gear" She said looking almost apologetic towards Nat.

"How?" Clint exclaimed arms flailing between Laura and the broken bots.

The dark haired enigma looked at him amused but their conversation was interrupted before she could speak. "Holy mother of all that is holy, you scared the shit out of me!" Tony sentence came out in a single exhale of breath before it dissolved into a small laughing fit. "Oh god, my heart…Jesus Christ…" Tony massaged his chest realising that the shock had made his heart skip many beats.

"Don't keel over yet, old man. You owe me 100 bucks" Laura's smirk increased, enjoying the reactions she was witnessing. She had hoped not to be forced to reveal her healing to them but it was worth it just to see their faces.

Tony groaned in a light-hearted way, sore about losing the bet but pleased that his theory had been correct. "Fine, you win. But you better use it to buy me a drink or something, my nerves are shot."

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 *** = My alliteration game is strong tonight. B)**

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 ** _AN:_ So How cool was that?! The team have witnessed some big things in this chapter.**

 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please Fav, Follow and Review!**

 **Feedback will help me deal with my doctor appointed "bedtimes", I'll read them before I take my blankey and to bed :P**

 **See you next week!**


	9. Chapter 9: An Understanding

**_AN:_ Happy New Year! Sorry that i didn't update last week, but it was boxing day and I was quite drunk.**

 **After every high comes the low, Let's get back to the action.**

 **Enjoy :)**

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 ** _Chapter 9 - An Understanding_**

"Amazing…" Bruce muttered softly, frowning in concentration as he kneaded his thumbs into Laura's forearm and feeling the blades hidden under the layers of skin and muscle.

All the Avengers had willingly assembled in the medical level, the incident in the arena having left most of them shaken and craving answers. They waited patiently as Tony tapped away on his console and Bruce examined 'X' to make sure that she didn't have any wounds that they couldn't see.

Laura paid no heed to the doctor as he pressed along her bones gently. This wasn't her first rodeo and Bruce was surprisingly humane as he examined her. Her experience of doctors and check-ups weren't exactly pleasant, being grabbed by cold hands that demanded access to whatever body part they needed. Her thoughts were pushed away as Laura noticed that Dr. Banner was getting close to her shoulder, beginning to press through her top instead of bushing it aside like her past doctors had. She been supplied another set of clothes by Widow, which she was grateful for considering that the workout gear had been struggling to stay on her body. She subtly took in a deep breath through her nose before Bruce's fingers pressed down on her collarbone, masking her pain and praying that the pressure didn't re-break the healing bone.

However, her mask wasn't good enough.

"That hurt". Laura sent the red head a small glare but the woman just raised a challenging eyebrow at her.

"Your collarbone's still broken?" Bruce noted intrigued and concerned by the discovery.

"Bones heal slower" Laura said cautiously knowing that she was opening the topic up for discussion.

"Yeah, but still at a superhuman speed" Clint commented from his perch, almost jealously. He'd lost count of how scars he had and he absolutely despised being stuck in hospital beds. Her healing would make his life miles easier.

"More than 'Superhuman'." Tony piped up from his console as a hologram of Laura's body projected out of it. Red dots rapidly appeared on the 3D blue outline before they gradually faded to purple and then disappeared. "Cap and Barnes heal at a superhuman rate but you heal faster than both of them combined."

"If I remember correctly, I probably heal faster than that" Looking back, Laura could remember Winter taking a couple of days to a week to achieve full recovery from serious injuries and broken bones. For her it took minutes and hours.

"Your collarbone…" Bruce searched through his memories, trying to find the exact word Jarvis had used. "It was fractured, right?"

"Shattered is a more accurate description, Dr. Banner. Miss Kinney's left Clavicle was broken in 3 different places" Jarvis informed highlighting the three breakages in yellow on the diagram. "However, from my scans it appears that all three are almost fully healed"

"They'll be done within the next hour or so, nothing to worry about" Laura shrugged at the information supplied. When you spend your whole life healing like she did, you learned to get used to it and not to question it.

"Tony" Steve's authority tone foretold that the scientist was in a lot of trouble. "The arena is off-limits until you can prove that it's safe"

"What? Oh come on, Cap…The arena is perfectly safe!" Tony rolled his eyes at the blonde man. There was nothing wrong with his creation.

"Really?" Natasha held up her shredded and blood-stained yoga pants, managing to make eye contact with Tony through the holes.

Tony glared at her. "Really. Everyone has personalised levels for a reason and on top of that, I told, switchblade here, the emergency stop safety word".

Laura nodded, still confused why their safety word was someone's surname. She had asked Tony, who "Coulson" was and she'd grown uneasy when the man's irritably lively energy faded. His reply had filled him with something that wasn't quite sadness but he'd held back the emotion and answered. Laura didn't know who this Hero was but they clearly meant a lot to the heartless billionaire and probably meant a lot to the rest of them. She knew better than to ask, it wasn't any of her business. "You could use blanks".

Tony turned to look at the girl sitting on the exam table. "Whose side are you on?" She merely rolled her eyes at him, her attention moving onto Captain Rogers.

"Mr. Stark has a point. The level was not designed for me and I could have used the safety word at any point. However I didn't. Overall the arena worked well, the Robots were responsive but lacked human fault and were highly organised. None of which is a bad thing when it comes to training." Steve assessed her as she spoke, taking in the professional attitude that she'd adopted. He was tempted to say that it was the tone a Solider would take when speaking to a commanding officers but it was too detached for that. "The live rounds were a clear safety risk but if that was corrected then, as a person who isn't designed for normal sparring, I can say that it is an effective alternative." With a small smile she turned back to Stark. "Happy?"

"Very. Just remember to give me a 5 star review on trip advisor and we'll be golden" Tony deadpanned causing Clint to let out an involuntary snort.

"Did we ever spar?" The jovial mood plunged as Bucky let the question slip from his lips. The tension returned between him and Laura, making the others anxious and making Bucky wish that he'd kept his mouth shut. He knew that he couldn't force her to answer and he didn't want to piss her off but there was a feeling in his gut that something just wasn't right about this situation. Something just wasn't right about Laura.

"Once" She could tell that the answer had shocked him and the rest of them. Probably it was the fact that it was an actual answer, which had caused such a reaction. She met his gaze with emotionless eyes, not allowing herself to show him anything. "You broke my arm".

Bucky's mind lit up as he realised that she was actually telling him something, processing the information and creating feelings of guilt and the desire for more context. "Sorry" The apology held as much emotion as her eyes did. If she was disconnecting herself from the situation then so could he.

The corners of her lips pulled up into a smile but it failed to reach her eyes. "Don't be. I was trying to slit your throat at the time"

Bucky frowned in confusion, first at her amusement and then at the new info. She'd been trying to kill him? He thought they were friends. On top of that she'd classified it as 'sparring', why had she been aiming for his throat if it was a spar. Why would she have her claws out in the first place? Why was it that even when she answered his questions, that he still ended up completely clueless?!

The silence had continued as Bucky's mind grew frustrated with itself and 'X', nobody daring to comment and interrupt the tension between the two. When the quiet was disturbed it was with a whisper, just aloud enough to gain Laura's attention.

"Could you…" Bruce's thoughtful voice faded out. He made eye contact with Laura before continuing his line of thought. "Do you um…mind?" His voice was louder this time, gaining the other's attention this time. The doctor's hand gestured to her hand, giving context to his request.

Laura didn't answer instead, locking her wrist and allowing her claws to come out, slowly, taking a small amount of pleasure from how their appearance made the tense atmosphere disappear. The Avenger's reactions weren't like what she'd experienced in the past from "normal" people and she was grateful for that.

Bruce stared at them in silent fascination. They were a bit longer than a foot, slim, sharp and protruding out from between her outer knuckles. Droplets of blood spilled out from where flesh and bone met blade.

"Doesn't that hurt?" Clint asked uneasily. He had no issue with blood, he'd dealt with too much of the stuff to get light-headed over a few droplets. But the thought of those blades breaking through bones to get out, made his arms feel numb.

The question made her smile genuinely, reminding her of Logan. It was a natural reaction when the slim blades came slicing through the skin of their knuckles. "Yes" She knew what her father's response would have been but that word held too much vulnerability for her. "But you learn to ignore it".

Bucky's eye twitched slightly at her smile. She was beginning to annoy him, like she was the personification of the gaps in the memory. She was cold towards him with no explanation and even when explaining she was disconnected and vague. But in the mysterious workings of her mind, something about Clint's and Dr. Banner's questions had made her smile. Her cold and defensive attitude had shifted into a warm but distant one. Was it just him? Had he done something or did he just bring up memories she'd rather forget?

"But that still doesn't make any sense…" Bruce sighed, taking off his glasses as he stood. His close proximity to Laura had been making the other guy squirm and he reminded himself that he'd need to question her at some point. Probably when he could talk to her more privately. "With a healing factor as fast as yours, your body should be fighting against foreign objects, especially ones as large as those blades."

Laura's smile fell as she blinked at the uninformed doctor. This had never happened before, all of her past doctors had known more about her than she did. She'd never had to explain and she knew that this was dangerous territory. Dangerous territory that she'd most likely have to sneak through.

Natasha watched intrigued as uncertainty flashed in the bright green eyes before Laura spoke "They aren't foreign objects". After that information had been released, the dark haired woman closed herself off and adopted a casual front. The subconscious actions were very subtle but not subtle enough for Nat.

"I'm sorry, what now?" Tony asked standing up straighter and assessing his new employee, checking for head wounds that clearly would have or at least should have heal by now.

"The blades are bones, my body doesn't reject them because they're a part of my anatomy." She shrugged nonchalantly, eyes appearing disinterested and factual.

Dr. Banner's mouth opened wordlessly before his mind could figure out how to respond. "A part of your anatomy? How?"

"Radiation." Secretly Laura was quite proud of herself for that answer. It was almost half true.

"Sir, Miss. Potts has requested Miss. Kinney's presence in her office to discuss wages" Saved by the AI, Laura hopped off the table, glad that the conversation was on pause for now. Revealing her past would achieve nothing but pity from them.

"On my way" It was better if they didn't know.

"One second missy, we aren't finished here" Tony said stepping forward and putting himself in between her and the door.

"Yes we are, now if you'll excuse me, I need to report to my new boss". Laura snarked wearing a mask of confidence. The mask hide her desperation to get out that door. Like a wild animal cornered, all she cared about at the moment was escaping.

Tony huffed out a laugh, amazed that she thought she could avoid the discussion so easily. Many of the people in the room had been experimented on, willingly or unwillingly, Accidentally or on purpose. Tony knew the ins and outs of all of their procedures, mostly for medical purposes, and Laura wasn't about to be an exception to that rule.

However before Tony could say something stupid, Bruce spoke up. "If we could just get a blood sample then you're free to go" Bruce sighed trying to create a compromise.

Tony sent the Doctor an offended glance but he was once again cut-off before he could comment. "No." The response was almost instinctual for X. Her blood held secrets that she knew were very dangerous in the wrong hands. Sure they were the Avengers but Stark did use to manufacture weapons. She didn't trust them or anyone else with her blood.

"What?" Tony actually felt offended by her refusal. He was going to shoot down the compromise as well but she had no reason to refuse a blood sample. "No way. You have to".

A spark of anger flared in Laura's chest as she glared at the genius "I don't have to do anything. So get out of my way, Stark"

Laura went to step round him but the rich Idiot stepped as well, blocking her path once again, Leading Laura to wonder if the ass was suicidal or something.

"Tony…" Steve sighed, sick and tired of having to reprimand his teammate. Laura clearly wasn't going to co-operate and Tony clearly wasn't about to persuade her. The conversation was getting them nowhere. "Laura go report to Pepper".

"What?" Tony's angry and shock gaze flicked onto Steve giving Laura an opportunity to dodge round him and stride towards the door. At the movement Tony stun round to see Laura's retreating form. "What the hell, Rogers?!" The anger in Tony's gaze thickened as he turned back around to start bickering with The Captain.

The budding argument drew almost everyone's attention, making Laura's exit easier. But one set of eyes stayed on her as she went. She come practically feel Barnes's assessing gaze following her and made an active effort not to look back and meet his eyes.

The walk to the CEO's office was made easy by Jarvis's instructions. She would have gotten lost for sure if it wasn't for the AI's directions.

Pepper had greeted her kindly, probably having no idea that she'd just had a stand-off with her boyfriend. Laura had returned the greeting with energy that she didn't have. She knew the day would be stressful the moment she woke up but she hadn't expected to end up tiptoeing through a minefield of uncomfortable and impossible topics. She'd woken up expecting Bucky to be the one she'd have to mentally (or physically) battle with but she'd underestimated Stark's childishness. She'd been right, the man just couldn't take no for an answer.

After everything that had happened that day she couldn't be blamed for not being super energetic. She barely had the energy to keep a smile on her face so she didn't. She let her polite and pleasant mask fall, finding that it simply was too tiring to maintain it and focus on what Miss. Potts was proposing.

However, surprisingly, Pepper didn't seem offended when she challenged the small print or interrupted her. The business woman took it in her stride, debating the small print and explaining things that Laura didn't understand.

Pepper herself, could easily relate to the whiplash that came with spending too much time around the Avengers. The team worked at a thousand miles a minute and it took time to get used to that. The younger woman was clearly stressing about something. What? She didn't know but she was sure Tony would fill her in later. It had been hard for her to adjust at first but from what Tony had said, it sounded like Laura was going to struggle. Especially if she had been squatting and sleeping rough.

The Process of drawing up an agreement took many hours of sitting in the stylish office, reading silently unless Laura had a query or complaint. When silence did descend it was as peaceful as it could get when Laura felt so wound up. But slowly Pepper watched as the tension trickled out of her body, the dark haired woman's sitting position evolving as whatever rain cloud over her head slowly been to dissipate.

Sadness tinged Pep's gaze as she noticed how the tension didn't completely leave the girl's body. How it clung onto wisps of that rain cloud and held tight.

In that second Pepper could understand Tony's curiosity, the woman clearly had a past. But Pepper knew that these things couldn't be rushed. A clear example was her friendship with Natasha and she knew that the only reason the two of them were close was because the super spy had chosen to let her in.

When green eyes connected, Pepper did her best to flip her sadness into tiredness, adding a small but exhausted smile. Of course Laura didn't totally buy it but failed to see why the CEO would be sad at her. She reasoned that if it had been anyone else staring sadly at her then she'd get wary but this was Pepper Potts.

She wasn't some advanced lie detector or blast from the past, she was the most normal person in this weird nightmare she was having. So gathering up enough energy, Laura returned the small smile before the two returned to what they were doing.

It was dark outside by the time they finished, office lights having flicked on a few hours beforehand to fight against the darkness outside. The wage was settled, contract signed and the tired pair entered the elevator together both pleased with the end result.

In the end her new wage had shocked Laura. She would have been pleased with double what Ford was paying her but it had been much, _much_ more than that. Of course, she'd work less hours and her hours would be determined by Miss. Pott's schedule but the pay, more than made up for that. "The penthouse, ma'am?" Jarvis voice asked as the silver doors slide shut.

"Yes please, could you stop off at Steve and Bucky's floor?" Pep asked already knowing the answer.

"Of course ma'am". The elevator began to ascend as the AI replied.

The silence enveloped them for a single second before Miss. Potts addressed Laura. "I forgot to ask but who would you like to be called?" Laura's eyes snapped to the other woman but the ginger continue before she could think any further on the matter. "I mean on…duty, do you want to be Laura Kinney or…"

"Not really" She'd been so tired that she hadn't really thought about it but it did make sense. Pepper was in the public eye so she couldn't be Laura Kinney on the job. Kinney and even Laura were too dangerous to go telling people about. She'd probably need a disguise as well. But it all lead to the question of what her alias should be. It would need to be simple so that Miss. Potts could remember.

Pepper watched a tired but strangely fond smile creep onto Laura's face and smiled herself, not really caring about what the girl was thinking about, just happy to see a spark of happiness. "Megan Tanaka"

"It's lovely" Pepper's comment brought Laura back from the past. A part of her upset at leaving the happy memories behind but mostly grateful to be ripped away before she made herself even more upset.

The elevator door broke the awkward but almost pleasant air that had formed between the two, revealing the living area of her floor. "Good night, Miss Potts." Laura stepped out, but turned back when her new boss spoke.

"Good night, Miss Tanaka". The strawberry blonde smirked brightly bringing a smile to her lips. The door closed and Laura sighed deeply, the smiled still playing on her lips. She found it odd. She'd spent hours with the business woman, talking nothing but business, and yet Laura found the woman, dare she say, good company. Running from an argument, in a mood most would shrink away from and the CEO had rose to the challenge.

Walking past the couches and kitchenette, Laura realise that she might have underestimated the strength of Pepper Potts.

Any traces of her smile vanished as her tired brain zeroed in on the route to her bedroom door. Or rather caught sight of the person blocking said route. Her step faltered as she made eye contact with the long haired brunette that stood in her way. Metal arm crossed with the flesh one. She recovered her pace, breaking eye contact, trying to act like she'd noticed him when stepping off the elevator. "Good night" she mumbled attempting to bypass him. It didn't work.

Bucky blocked her, watching as green eyes snapped to his, anger rippling through the jade irises.

"You really want to do this?" Laura challenged as she stared into grey eyes of pure determination.

"I want an explanation" It was all he wanted. All he'd thought about all day. Questions tormenting him while knowing exactly where he could get the answers from. Nothing could distract him, no matter how hard Steve had tried. Bucky could understand not telling Tony and the others answers but him? He needed to know why.

His voice held a fight in it, a fight that Laura simply didn't have the energy for. "For what?"

"Everything" The answer almost made her snort.

"You don't want much, do you?" She replied trying again to sidestep him and get past but he copied her movements, blocking her again.

"X" There was a weakness in his voice that shocked the brewing anger out of her. Green searched grey as her brain processed the anxiety behind his gaze. His guard was down, emotion fully on display. His self-doubt, his agitation, his exhaustion. His defenceless gaze revealing emotions that made her tense. It felt wrong to her, to be able to see this much of him. The feeling forced her to look away.

She pushed her hair back, her façade flickering, exposing just how drained she was. "I can't" her words came out in a long sigh as if a weight had just landed on her chest.

"Why?" She didn't have to look at him to know that the walls were back, guarded once more and she felt like she could breathe easy again. The thought of the Winter Solider breaking down seemed preposterous and she was glad that the closed off, objective man was back. It would make explaining much easier.

Bucky could see that she was running the answer through her mind, letting out a small sigh here and there but he gave her time. He'd already waited this long, he could wait a few minutes more. "I can't. They wouldn't be your memories. If I told you everything, I'd be explaining mine. And that won't help anyone".

"They could help…" Bucky argued, the conviction returning to his tone. "Jog my memories or something…"

"Don't be stupid, they'd overwhelm you, Winter" Laura's teeth gritted at his stubbornness. She didn't want to fight him on this and she really didn't have the willpower to argue with him right now. She went to duck past him again.

She got a few steps before Bucky snapped out of his thoughts, metal arm reaching out to grab her arm and holt her. "I still want answers" He stared defiantly into her bitter glare.

"And I told you, Barnes. I'm not about to tell you…" Bucky cut off her enraged words.

"What if they aren't about the past?" He unfortunately had to admit that she had a point. He could predict that many of the memories he would recover would be terrifying and gruesome, and he didn't know how quickly they could return or how bad he could react to them. There was too many risks. It could backfire on him. But it wasn't just the past that was confusing him. "What if they're about now?"

His jaw set, telling X just how serious her old ally was. She almost found it funny how riled up she'd gotten him. How she'd gotten under his skin without intending to. How he was acting so stubborn over answers. "What would you want to know?" She asked warily, not sure what would be bothering him so much about her present.

A thousand questions rushed through his head, everything about her confused him. He quickly searched his mind for a question that had nothing to do with their past. Gradually he focused in on his one question, not knowing if he'd get another chance. "Why are you obsessed with money?"

The question caught her off guard causing a snort of laughter to escape. "Obsessed is a bit strong" She composed her, staring at him amused.

But the brunette shocked his head, dead serious. "Everything you've done so far has been for money. Moving here, becoming a bodyguard, entering the arena. Why?" It was the only thing that seemed to motivate her, which made her primed for Stark to exploit if needed.

And yet, it wasn't the only thing that motivated her, Laura reasoned going over his question in her head. Yes it was a big reason that she did mundane tasks but that was just how the world worked. Money made the world go round. It was essential for human survival, like how food was essential for normal animals. The concept of money had confused her greatly when she'd first entered the rat race that was society but she'd learned. Learned just how vital it was for survival, how reliable it was. As they say, 'Everyone has a price'.

However, Money was not the most powerful motivator that had sway over her. Logan was. It had taken 11 years but she could now safely say that she trusted her father. She trusted others as well, Remi, Jubilee, Rogue, but she knew that Logan would always be there if she needed him. If he was in need of help then she'd give up all the money she owned to get to him. But Laura was very aware that she couldn't tell Bucky any of this. She didn't trust him, she barely trusted anyone and if she didn't trust them then there was no way in hell that she'd rely on them.

The gears in her head became harder and harder to see as Bucky assessed her. Her pensive look gradually grew guarded and emotionless. She was closing herself off from him. Her eyes rose to his, stoic yet slightly timid. "Maybe you're right, maybe I am obsessed…" He watched her carefully, absorbing everything she said, every piece of information. "But at the end of the day, Money will always be more reliable than people".

The way she said it, so 'matter of fact', shook him slightly. She was so detached, so cynical, so cold. It unnerved him greatly. "Good night, Winter" The soft voice and quiet click of a door, snapped him out of it. He was left staring down the empty corridor, not knowing when he'd let go of her arm.

* * *

 ** _AN:_ How long do you think Laura can keep her secret life from the Avengers? taking bets now.**

 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please Fav, Follow and Review!**

 **Feedback will grant you good luck for 2017!**

 **See you next week!**


	10. Chapter 10: The Perfect Photo

**_AN:_ Hi...sorry for disappearing, I got super distracted by something life related and I honestly thought I posted this Chapter. Like I literally had to do a double take when I saw that there was only 9 chapters on this because I knew I had finished Chapter 10 but apparently I just never got round to publishing it :P**

 **I'm an idiot but enough of that.**

 **It's time to shop til they drop! A lot of Nat and Laura in this chapter so yay!**

 **Enjoy :)**

* * *

 ** _Chapter 10 - The Perfect Photo_**

The past few hours had been hectic but if Laura had learned anything in that time, it was that she did not look right in bright colours. This wasn't exactly new information to her but the image in the full body mirror just drove that point home.

It had been Pepper who had picked out the yellow summer dress and Laura had glared at it the moment she had spotted it hung on the woman's arm. The essentials had been procured hours ago, leaving her at their mercy but apart from the horror that was draped around her frame, Miss Potts and Natasha had actually been pleasant company.

And the two made a formidable team. Bouncing ideas off of each other with ease, Laura actually had a hard time keeping up with them. They were efficient, navigating the New York shops with military precision. It was almost as if they had everything planned out.

Laura was beginning to suspect that every outing with the Avengers was like this. Organised and efficient, like some kind of mission. Simply leaving the tower had turned into a stealth evac.

The press seemed to hover around Avenger Tower, cameras ready, waiting to pounce. It had been agreed upon round the breakfast table, that Stark and Rogers would leave a few minutes before the rest, exiting via the main entrance to keep the vultures entertained.

In the meantime, the rest of them would sneak out one of the back exits. The boys would regroup after the two superheroes managed to shake the press.

She would have been lying if she'd said that she wasn't grateful for the planned distraction. The last thing she needed was to have her face plastered on worldwide media. But she suspected that the little evac mission hadn't just been for her benefit. "You almost finished in there?" Natasha's voice reminded her to stop glaring into the mirror.

Laura snapped out of it, pulling the curtain back and stepping into the waiting area of the changing room. "Where's Pepper?" Her scowl turned curious as she took in the relaxed spy, sitting, one leg crossed over the other, in front of her changing room. The red head was wearing a gorgeous dark green dress that looked miles better that what Laura was wearing.

Natasha finished off a text before looking up at Laura. "She had to take a call". A smile quickly grew on her features as she took in the peeved off look on the young girls face. "Not your thing?"

Laura caught sight of herself in one of the nearby mirrors and almost growled at the reappearance of the dress. "I don't see why I need a summer dress. The days are getting colder, not warmer."

Nat chuckled at her, appearing completely at ease but in reality, she hadn't let the woman out of her sight. You could tell a lot about a person just by how they shop and Laura shopped strangely. For starters the woman didn't window shop or search for clothes, instead she simply walked between aisles, occasionally stopping to look at stuff but just look, never touch. Natasha had noticed Laura's attraction to darker colours and her distinct dislike for bright ones. She'd also noted that the young girl spent a good amount of time in the men's section, looking for things there which Natasha found very interesting. Her phone buzzed in her hand causing her to roll her eyes. Tony needed to learn when to give up.

"Sorry about that. Oh wow, that's nice" Pepper commented striding back into the practically empty changing area, wearing a beautiful mint green dress. It wasn't that the shop they were in was unpopular but it was more expensive than most and it was also a Monday. Laura's face scrunched up in disgust as she caught sight of herself again, shaking her head at the CEO. "No?"

"No, the colour's just…too much" Colour had always been a no zone for her. It wasn't that she had anything against the daffodil yellow dress but she just preferred darker shades.

Whatever Pepper was about to reply with was cut off by Natasha's phone buzzing again and the woman letting out an irritated sigh. "Your boyfriend needs to learn not to bug me, Pep"

"Trust me, I've tried to tell him but at least he's improving" Pepper tried to put a positive spin on it but she knew she'd failed.

"What's he after?" Laura cursed her curiosity. She'd managed to ignore the stupid billionaire at breakfast and he'd made it surprisingly easy as well.

Nat smiled at the dark haired girl's reluctance to bring up Tony. "He texted to tell me that they were on their way to the café and I replied that we'd head over once we were finished dress shopping. Only now he's hung up on the dresses. Wants a picture of us wearing the dresses we're trying on".

Pepper shrugged her shoulders while smiling "Sure, why not?"

Her response sent Natasha's gaze straight onto Laura who caught the action easily. However Laura had to admit that Pepper had a point, why not. Well, Stark would obviously use it as some kind of joke material but at the same time, that could be useful to her. She needed to get the man off her back about the whole blood sample argument, maybe this could distract from that and make him feel like he'd won or something. She'd have to deal with his taunts but she was positive that she could withstand him. This thought process took seconds and when Laura re-joined the real world she found that Pepper was now staring at her as well. Her Boss had clearly been informed of her spat with her boyfriend. Laura sighed knowing that she wasn't going to enjoy this. "Fine but just one".

Pep seemed to brighten at that. "That's fine. You can take one of us then I can take one of you and Nat."

The phone was quickly past to her as Nat was pulled up into standing. Laura managed to catch a glimpse of Tony's text before she went onto the camera, feeling a small spark of hatred for the man she was about to let "win". The girls posed, nothing fancy, just standing next to each other, both women smiling happily for the camera. Laura smirked as an idea popped into her head as she snapped the photo.

Natasha could tell the new girl was up to something as she passed the phone over to Pep. The dark haired woman smirked widely as she came to stand next to her. Nat dubiously went to place her hand on Laura's shoulder, only to have Laura reach up to whisper in her ear. What the shorter girl said made Nat snort loudly before nodding along to her plan. Seconds later, Pepper was also sent into a giggling fit as she struggled to keep the camera still enough to snap the picture.

The photos were sent, the girls quickly changed out of the dresses and exited the changing area. Pepper was the only one who decided to buy her dress because Natasha decided that she had enough dresses for now and Laura wouldn't buy her dress if someone paid her to. So as the CEO went and paid, Laura took the time to just wonder around the shop for a little while longer. She really had no intention to buy anything else, they'd already brought far too much for her.

The walk-in wardrobe in her guest room would be filled by tomorrow and most normal people would be ecstatic but Laura was nowhere near normal and nowhere near ecstatic. "It's a nice jacket". Laura's eyes snapped towards the voice to find Natasha standing next to her. She followed the red head's gaze to see that she was standing in front of a leather jacket in the men's section. "Thinking of buying it for someone?"

Her eyes snapped back to connect with the smirking woman. Laura didn't need to ask who she was referring to. "No". She adverted her eyes. Laura would be lying if she said that the Black Widow didn't unnerve her slightly and she couldn't help but feel defensive about this line of inquiry.

The spy clearly had a bone to pick. "Shame, I think he'd appreciate it". It was highly concerning how transparent she was being.

"You sound pretty sure about that." Laura snorted sardonically, mind wandering back to the night before. She'd been tired and flippant with him, regret was beginning to tinge her memories. She was meant to be helping, she should have been more patient with him. She was finding this harder than it should've been.

"And you sound like you're underestimating how much you mean to him." Natasha's response brought her mind back into focus, only for it to grow confused. She stared at the spy like the woman was stupid.

Barnes barely remembered her, she barely meant anything to him. She was his link to the past. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Stop playing dumb, Laura. You're smart enough to know what I getting at." Natasha huffed out, turning to fully face Laura. But Laura wasn't 100 % sure on what this was about. She couldn't mean something to Bucky, the man didn't know her. He had one memory of her and even then it wasn't her in his memory. It was a ghost, a phantom that she'd buried 11 years ago.

But Laura was sure about one thing, none of this had anything to do with Romanoff. "Look, my past is my past. It's none of your concern."

Natasha scowled at the younger woman's uppity attitude. "Your past is his as well and he's my friend, he's our friend. We're allowed to be worried."

"There's no need. I've talked it over with him." Laura answered hoping to put an end to this discussion. She really didn't need to be interrogated by Black Widow today.

Natasha's voice still held a bit of miff as she responded "I heard".

Laura's attitude disappeared in that instant as she stared at the woman in surprise. She'd heard? What was she talking about? How? The only people awake on that floor had been her, Bucky and…

Natasha watched as a look of understanding crept onto the dark haired girl's feature before Laura turned around slightly herself, eyes trailing off toward the check out where Pepper was currently talking animatedly with the cashier. Natasha would have been concerned that the girl was about to take offence and get upset with Pepper but she just sighed deeply and seemed to accept her fate. "We came to an understanding. I'm not about to spill my guts to him, Natasha, it won't help".

The ex-agent actually smirked at her because Natasha wasn't expecting Laura to open herself to Bucky. Hell, if there was anyone who knew how valuable secrets were, it was Natasha. Everyone had skeletons in their closets, some were scarier than others and no one could expect anyone to open themselves up for a bunch of strangers. Unless, of course, it was an actual interrogation. "I don't expect you to".

"Then are we good here?" Laura questioned wanting to finish this conversation as her eyes followed Pepper, making her way towards them.

But Nat just frowned at her, ignoring Pep as she joined them. The other red head was smart enough to see that something was going on. "You two may have come to an understanding but there is still things that you don't understand".

"Like what?" Laura's emotions flitted between feeling challenged, confused and curious. She failed to see what she didn't understand but at the same time she was intrigued to see what she'd missed.

Natasha's eyes flitted between the confused Laura and the uneasy Pepper, realising that this little talk was stretching out a bit too long. "Come on, we'll walk and talk". She herded the two other women out of the shop and started to lead the way towards the café, keeping a slow pace so as to watch the younger girl.

* * *

The small bell chimed as Steve and Bucky entered the quiet tucked away Café. The place was small, no more than five tables in the entire room. Paintings and photographs hung on the walls making the place seem homely with chairs and couches littering the room giving it a quirky feel.

"You get lost or something?" Clint called out to them as he laid on one of the couches. The boys had decided to split up an hour ago, mostly because Steve wanted to get art supplies and Tony didn't.

"A little bit" Steve sighed relieved that they had finally gotten off the streets. He watched worriedly as Buck walked round him and made his way to a table in the corner. His friend had copped better than the last time they'd tried this but no matter how much Steve tried to look on the bright side, he had to admit that Bucky was still struggling. Struggling to relax. Struggling to believe that there wasn't a heavily armed battalion round every corner. Struggling to adjust. "Where's Tony?" Steve asked the archer coming to sit at the same table as the man, choosing to give Buck some space.

"Round back, talking to the owner" Clint grunted, deciding to sit up and feeling his body protest. "Thanking him for allowing us to use his café on such short notice and probably asking him to keep our presence here to himself". Steve nodded in understanding but Clint could easily tell that the man was stressed. "So how did it go?"

"Fine" The look Clint gave him told him that he simply wasn't buying it. But Steve didn't want to talk about it. Didn't want to admit that he didn't know how to get over this hurdle yet. He wasn't a psychologist and Bucky wouldn't trust a proper psychologist.

Clint understood what Steve was thinking without him even saying it. Steve was very good at carrying burdens and Clint was convinced that if he could, Steve would carry the weight of the world's problems all by himself. Steve's selflessness was what made Steve…well…Steve. But as a father of a pre-teen, he knew the dangers of "Fine".

"So you two decided to turn up…" All three men's attention snapped onto the billionaire as he came striding out of the door that lead to kitchen. Tony's grin was the first thing that put Steve on edge but his concern eased slightly as he noticed that Clint shared the genius's amusement. But it returned full force as Steve noticed that not only was Tony in the middle of texting but he was also heading for Bucky's table.

Bucky noticed this as well, bracing for whatever was about to come out of the man's mouth. So imagine his surprise when the phone was slide towards him. "Your girl seems to be enjoying herself". Tony's giddy mood was irritably understandable. Bucky had to push down a smile himself as he took in the photo on Tony's phone. Natasha and Laura stood side by side, Nat leaning on Laura slightly and both in very expensive looking dresses. However both girls didn't look particularly pleased as they gave the camera the middle finger. Bucky couldn't imagine a photo that could depict Laura Kinney as perfectly. "I mean talk about rude" The phone was whisked away from him before Bucky could realise that he was staring at it. "But I have to admit it's growing on me". Tony smirked widely as he passed the phone over to Steve. He hadn't thought he was going to get that photo. He'd accepted that Nat wasn't going to send him anything. He was content with just annoying the ex-Russian and was about to give up when Fate decided to shine on him. "Thinking of having it framed".

"Do that and both of them will kill you" Clint countered the inventor as he sat down with them.

* * *

 ** _AN:_ I'm not afraid to admit that I'm pumped for the next chapter. Some quality Bucky and Laura time is on it's way :D**

 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please Fav, Follow and Review!**

 **Feedback will hopefully (Fingers crossed) get me back into a routine for this story.**

 **See you next week!**


	11. Chapter 11: Beyond the Door

**_AN: Hey! Remember when I said that this chapter would have Bucky and Laura time... well, not yet. Next Chapter! I promise! _**

**_For now, let's see what Nat was getting on about, shall we?_**

 ** _Enjoy :)_**

* * *

 ** _Chapter 11 - Beyond the door_**

The cold air tugged at them as they trudged through the late lunch crowd. Hats and scarfs kept the cold from nipping at them and also hide the faces of the three women as they made a B-line towards the café Tony had rented out. Pepper and Natasha traversed the crowds expertly as Laura followed. The dark-haired woman often felt somewhat distracted in crowds. So many sounds and scents. It could all easily overwhelm her but she'd learned to cope. Learned techniques to help deal with it. When faced with so much pointless information she merely had to focus on a single person. Their scent, their face. It helped massively when it came to tracking a target.

But she had no target so chose the next best thing. The Black Widow's scent was sharp and clean, like a dry old wine or cold blade. Everything the clone knew about the assassin told her that Natasha should be wary or even hostile towards her. Laura was an unknown variable, a risk, the very thing most people avoided. But the deadly red-head had yet to threaten her and it put her on edge. This was the Black Widow, the thing that had frightened the monsters of her past. Nothing was more terrifying than the predator capable of killing your predator.

"He's recovering." Laura actively flinched as Natasha spoke, realising that the woman had met her stare with cold eyes.

"Everyday. He's trying to find the pieces of the man he used to be. It may not be happening fast but he is recovering his humanity." Natasha's cold exterior melted as she committed herself to this course of action. "It hasn't been easy for him or Steve or any of us but we've tried our best to easy him into it. Even when he's pushed us away." She sighed. Natasha knew that Steve wouldn't approve to her meddling but she wasn't the type of person to see a problem and leave it to fix itself.

"Why are you telling me this?" Laura broke eye contact as she avoided bumping into people effortlessly. This Information was personal, scratch that, it was vulnerable and Laura couldn't see why someone like Natasha would display a weakness.

Natasha huffed slightly at Laura's cluelessness "Because the day he remembered you was the day he actually gave a damn about something. He came to us for help, opened himself up, and made himself vulnerable. All because he cared about you."

Laura frowned deeply. She debated if what Natasha was saying could be true. All he remembered was Belem and not even Belem, just the introduction. "He shouldn't." She failed to see how she had create such a positive impression. Her time at hydra was hardly a positive time in her life. She tried to convince herself that they hadn't even been that close, how could two ghosts be anything more than strangers to each other? But she knew the answer. It was one of the few things she did truly know. She shock the thought away. "The person he remembers, I'm not her anymore. I stopped being her a long time ago."

"And that's why you're the best person to help him." Natasha watched as Laura went from reluctant to downright disbelieving. Her response almost made her laugh. Laura fascinated Nat, never had she met someone who reminded her so much of her past self. But Laura was far from being the Red Room's pet and was nowhere near the Avenger she was today. She was stuck in the between stage. Committed to the good path but doubtful in her own abilities.

"Steve's a good man but he's stubborn and stressed out of his mind. He's good for Bucky but not in the same way you are." Pepper reassured as she lead them around a corner and onto a much quieter street. She wasn't exactly sure on what specifically she could help with, but she believed that the only person who could figure that out would be Laura. The dark haired girl was the only one who knew the full story.

A lot was going on in Laura head. Her doubtful mind twisting and turning her current situation over and over again. Guilt and pity wallowed in her stomach along with something much more dangerous, determination. A part of her was adamant that she should drop everything and leg it back home but that determination stuck strong. It grounded her here, demanding that she help him. But the question of 'how?' kept stopping her. She had to get over that hurdle, bridge the gap that divide them. It left her with serious doubts that she could achieve those things. "I want to help him, I just don't know how to".

Nat nodded at the response "Good. Now we're on the same page."

"What?" That hadn't been what she was expecting. But Laura found herself not really knowing what to expect from the former Agent anymore. Everything she thought the infamous Black Widow would be like appeared to be false.

Natasha chuckled "I don't expect you to have all the answers, Laura."

"It's enough to know that you're willing to help him." Pepper backed Natasha up, smiling brightly with positivity. It was something that her new bodyguard seemed to lack.

They lapsed into a small silence and Laura got stuck in her thoughts, processing everything she had been told. "Fortunate as well, I wasn't looking forward to beating you up." Natasha's cocky tone brought her back to reality to find the assassin smirking away to herself

"Natasha!" Pep scolded but failed to keep a straight face, giggling softly at her friend.

"I...can't agree more..." In all honesty Laura was still struggling to relax. This red haired spy didn't act like a spy or at least the spies that Laura had could in contact with. "Fighting you seems...daunting." She watched with intrigue as the smallest hint of surprise flashed in the Black Widow's eyes. "Your reputation is loud" And just like that the flash vanished and was quickly replaced with an air of tension.

"You've heard of me" Natasha's tone hide her true emotions well, managing to appear inquisitive but Laura was positive that the master assassin was holding back in her questioning.

"Just whispers, nothing more." Laura replied casually, trying to disperse the tension that was slowly build around the trio. Admittedly she knew this topic was a tad bit too close to the bone for both Natasha and her. So ending it quickly was probably best which was why Laura refrained from lying. Natasha would see through that.

Nat's eyes narrowed slightly. Despite the Hydra leak, her information wasn't exactly freely plastered on public billboards. You had to go looking for it, which Laura obviously hadn't. Her cryptic little statement peaked Natasha's interest greatly. "Funny 'cause I haven't heard anything about you."

She just shrugged in reply, choosing to keep her response in the confines of her head. _'You weren't meant to.'_

"We're here, guys." Pepper's happy and bouncy voice didn't convince either of them but it did managed to distract from the somewhat awkward conversation. The three women found themselves in front of a charming little café. A couple of small sets of stairs lead down, a level past street level.

Even Laura had to admit that the place was pleasant looking, not big or bold and so not what she'd expect Stark to pick. "Great..." Laura sighed knowing that Stark and his annoying face were most likely just beyond that door.

* * *

 _ **AN: So how was that? I could really do with some feedback. I wasn't terribly confident about this chapter.**_

 _ **Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please fav, follow and review!**_

 _ **Feedback will help my confidence. Hopefully.**_

 _ **See you next week!**_


	12. Chapter 12: BLTs and Leather Jackets

**_AN:_ Guess who forgot what day it was yesterday! I accidentally went on a drawing binge on Sunday and spent 8 hours sitting in the same position. Woke up with sore muscles so ended up sleeping in.**

 **I also saw Logan at the weekend. I liked it. I really liked it. It had a number of plot points that I had already planned into this which was interesting. I'm actually slightly enamored with how they did X23, like so enamored that I'm considering writing another X23 fanfic using that version of Laura. I need to stop thinking up new fanfic ideas and start finishing off some of the ones I have started :P**

 **Anyway Laura and Bucky time!**

 **Enjoy :)**

* * *

 _ **Chapter 12 - BLTs and Leather Jackets**_

The bell above the door signaled the arrival of the girls, drawing everyone's attention onto them. Laura cursed the sound as she spotted the grin that was quickly growing on Tony's face. "Ladies! I hope all that dress shopping made you hungry" The billionaire rose from his seat, taking great pleasure in Laura's scowl as he greeted Pep with peck on the cheek. "So where is it?"

He addressed the question towards Laura and watched in delight as her scowl slowly morphed into a glare. However he was surprised when Nat answered for her. "She didn't buy it, Tony. Let it go."

Natasha stood by the shorter woman's side, smirking as she raising a challenging eyebrow.

Tony recovered quickly turning his attention to the deadly assassin in front of him. "Didn't buy it?!" Tony echoed in faked shock and horror before turn back toward the table. "Did you hear that? How are we going to recreate the picture for the photoshoot if we don't have the dress?"

Laura ignored the idiot as her eyes took in the long table that the rest of them were sitting at. The boys had clearly moved a couple of tables to create enough room for all of them, it even looked a bit too big. Clint lay on a couch at the far end, watching the entertainment but Laura had to suppress her smile as the Captain America face palmed at the show Tony was putting on. She expected to find Barnes in the seat next to his friend. So far she had hardly seen him without Steve by his side. Scanning the room, her glare softened back into a scowl as her eyes found the dark figure sitting in the far corner.

"No dress needed, I can recreate it for you right now" Natasha retorted before she flipped Tony off, receiving a snort of laughter from Clint for her efforts.

Pepper rolled her eyes at them before interrupting "Come on, Tony. Let's eat already, I'm starving!" She didn't give him the chance to argue, dragging towards the table as he mumbled on about rude spies.

Laura registered that the arrogant inventor had backed off but kept her eyes on Bucky as he remained hunched over at the isolated table. His baseball cap was tilted down to hide his face as he seemed to shrink into himself. It almost felt like he was trying to fade into the background and disappear but Laura reasoned that she was probably overthink it. She came back to the moment as she felt something push her. She stared accusingly at Romanoff as the spy moved past her a step or two. Natasha just smirked motioning toward the back corner with a subtle head movement.

Laura rolled her eyes at the redhead but took the prompt, moving past the table as Natasha went to sit. She didn't particularly want to sit at the same table as Stark anyway. She'd choose dealing with Barnes over Stark any day.

She looked back briefly as she sat down, expecting some comment from the rich man-child but instead found Nat leveling one hell of a glare at him. A smirk tugged at the sides of Laura's lips but she quickly flattened it when she caught sight of Rogers staring at her curiously. His eyes moved off her the moment she connected with them, snapping quickly onto Natasha.

"So you didn't get the dress?" She turned round fully, assessing the man in front of her carefully. He clearly wasn't comfortable. The strange thing was that if they were in a busy train station or packed bus, he fit right in but they were stuck in a practically empty café, yet he still looked like he could get up and run at the drop of a hat. He sat on the edge of his seat and hands flat on the table. He hadn't taken his coat or hoodie off, despite it being fairly warm inside.

"No, it em… wasn't my colour" Laura replied, distracting herself by removing her scarf and coat. Bucky was eerily similar to his alter ego in this paranoid state.

He made no move to continue the conversation as a teen came up to the table, a large pile of menus in his arms. "Here you…" Laura didn't let the kid finish, grabbing two menus from the pile before nodding in a brief and half-hearted attempt at gratitude.

The boy got over his shock, quickly moving onto the other table while Laura placed one menu in front of her old friend. She concentrated fully on her own, listening as Barnes picked up his and started to do the same.

She really didn't care what she ate, picking something simple just to get it out the way. However she continued to examined the menu just to avoid the awkwardness that she was already drowning in.

She honestly expected Bucky to take point on this. She was useless at talking and what do you even talk about to a man you haven't seen in 11 years. She could ask how life had been but she already knew the answer so it was a pointless thing to ask. Not to mention inappropriate and insensitive.

Cautiously she peaked over her menu to catch a glimpse of him. The menu was lying discarded on the table as the ex-assassin studied the door behind her, completely lost in his own thoughts.

Her eyes flicked back to the fancy writing on the menu before sighing. There was absolutely no hope of Barnes starting any form of communication. She'd have to bite the bullet. "I'm kind of glad to get you alone, actually".

She could practically feel his gaze zero in on her, making her shift uncomfortably. "Really?" His monotone voice held surprise that she probably would've been able to observer if she wasn't pretending to read the menu again.

"Yeah" She mentally cursed herself and wondered why on earth she had decided to lead with this. However she didn't have much time to ponder it as the teen soon returned to take their order. She ordered, just a simple sandwich and water, nothing huge and then watched as Bucky ordered just water.

A questioning eyebrow was quickly raised as the boy retreated with their menus. "Not hungry" Bucky mumbled the answer to the unasked question. Laura didn't believe him for one second but let it slide for now. "So?" Bucky pressed her to continue what she had been saying.

Laura seriously missed the menu now that she could no longer hide behind it. Talking had never been her strong suit. "I may have been a bit harsh last night. Blame it on the lack of sleep" She meant to make it sound casual but it came out more like an order, making her internally wince. The kid chose this moment to return with their drinks. He delivered them wordlessly, probably sensing the tension.

Bucky made absolutely no move to reply, just staring at her like she was some sort of puzzle to crack. He wondered if his ears were still working correctly because it just sounded like she'd tried to apologise to him. He could tell that she was avoiding eye contact, instead focusing on the rim of her glass. If he didn't know better, he'd even say that she was nervous. And he didn't know better, he could barely get a good read on her at the best of times.

Yet, here she was trying to talk to him. It suddenly occurred to Bucky that this was the first time she had actually initiated a conversation with him. "So how was shopping?" Bucky asked cautiously, wanting to keep this going and see where it lead.

Laura's eyes snapped up to catch the brunette taking a good sip of his water. A tiny amount of tension had left his shoulder. "Better than I predicted, they're good shoppers" She glanced over her shoulder to view the table where the other group talked loudly.

"And you're not?" Bucky questioned, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"Correct" Laura chuckled, believing that no truer words had ever been spoken. Her mind just wasn't designed for shopping. She struggled to imagine how things would look on her.

Bucky could relate to the new information he was learning about the woman in front of him. He smiled, having finally found some form of common ground with her. "But you got what you needed, right?" He queried, saving the topic for later. Right now, he was more concerned with her having everything she needed to be comfortable and secure.

"I got more than what I needed. Too much, actually. I don't even know what to do with that amount of clothes" Laura thought that it was almost wasteful, considering she would eventually have to disappear. There was no way she be able to carry all those clothes in her backpack.

Bucky held his response as he heard sneakers approaching from the direction of the kitchen. The young waiter soon reappeared placing Laura's meal on the table with a smile. "Enjoy!" Bucky paid little attention to the kid as his eyes zeroed in on the BLT sandwich on Laura's plate. It looked good and he was beginning to realise just how hungry he really was.

He really hoped they weren't going to spend too much longer out shopping. "Well, it's not like Stark can't afford it". He distracted himself by sipping at his water.

Laura just nodded in agreement, due to having a full mouth. She didn't even need to look at Barnes to know he was eyeing up her sandwich. The man had a super metabolism and to her knowledge the boys hadn't eaten since breakfast, he had to be hungry. She had a couple of ideas on why he hadn't ordered something and all of them left a nasty taste in her mouth. Each idea suggested that Bucky was not recovering as well as she thought he was. It was almost like he was a completely different person compared to how he was before. At the tower he was fine, brooding and quiet but okay. Now he was paranoid and on edge. If this was how he was acting in an empty café then she didn't want to imagine what he would've been like while shopping.

She took a sip of water as she realised that they'd lapsed into silence again. "So… did you buy anything?" If she had a good read on him then she already knew the answer.

Bucky hadn't really noticed the silence until she spoke, having caught Steve looking over to see if he'd ordered something and the small look of disappointment that followed. "Em… No" he answered focusing back onto Laura and ignoring Cap for the time being. He knew that he should be eating, he was starving, but why order food that you're going to struggle to trust enough to eat.

"Why not?" Laura questioned lightly, not wanting to make him feel like he was being interrogated. She could guess what the true answer was because she'd been in his position before. Having to rely on Jubilee or even Logan to buy her clothes because it was just too much for her.

She pushed away her pity as he lied. "I didn't need anything" Bucky replied fully believing it. He had jogger bottoms and t-shirts, even a tracksuit or two. He really didn't need anything else.

Laura wasn't quite sure about that. She had noticed it yesterday. Barnes's scent had been much more noticeable. She had honestly struggled to understand how on earth she hadn't noticed it in the club. Then it all click when they left the tower that morning. Bucky was wearing pieces of Steve's clothes. She couldn't quite tell what part of his outfit had been Steve's in the club but she suspected that it was his jacket and she had pinpointed that the coat he was currently wearing was the blonde's. Barnes could really do with some more clothes. "Well, it's not like Stark can't afford it, right?" She smirked playfully, throwing his words right back at him.

Bucky chuckled slightly, finding this change in her attitude to be surprising pleasant. She had been really cold yesterday and it had irritated him greatly. Even that morning, she had been quiet but she actually seemed to be enjoying herself. He had no idea why, it wasn't like he was the best company right now. He knew he was being paranoid and he knew that there was absolutely no need to be but there was just something holding him back. A little voice asking "What if…?" What if he'd missed something? What if Hydra were following him? What if he flipped out and hurt someone? What if he was too dangerous to be around the public?

Laura finished off the first half of her sandwich in silent worry as she watched her old friend becoming lost in his thoughts again. She knew from experience that sometimes your thoughts were the most dangerous place to get lost. He stared down at his hands as if they held all the answers in he could ever want. The tension slowly returning to his shoulders.

She needed to do something to help him but what would help him? How do you fix a broken man? She searched each inch of her mind for a solution as she bit into the rest of her sandwich. She'd been so similar to him once, it was like looking into a mirror to the past.

She'd been on edge all the time, constantly ready for an attack either on herself or on her father. Secretly being absolutely terrified that she'd lose everything again. When she found Logan, she found a family. A weird group of friends and each supported her in a different way. But Bucky already had that.

Laura smiled softly as she tuned into the noise of casual conversation behind her. He had his family, he had Cap so maybe it was just a question of time. It had taken her 11 years…and counting…so how long would he have to wait.

She sighed silently, waiting didn't help her at all, and she needed to help him now. Distract him in some way or make him feel safer. An idea slowly began to form in the recesses of her mind. It was a stupid plan. It could backfire massively and make him even worse. But maybe they needed to take that leap of faith. Either way, he needed a leather jacket to call his own.

"Hey…" His head snapped up. "This may sound crazy but hear me out…" Bucky's eyes narrowed in confusion, the playful twinkle in Laura's eyes making him cautious but intrigued.

* * *

 ** _AN:_ A lot of talking in this chapter. Poor Bucky :(**

 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please Fav, Follow and Review!**

 **Feedback will make my brain concentrate on this story instead of the 500 other stories I have locked in there. I think...?**

 **See you next week!**


	13. Chapter 13: Meddling with Matters

_**AN** **:**_ **Yes, I realise I'm a terrible person for not updating in 8 months. I don't even know what I did in those 8 months but it wasn't writing like it should have been. Look, I'm not gonna make excuses or claim that it won't happen again because it most likely will.**

 **Basically my brain goes through periods of obsession, sometimes it's drawing and art, sometimes it's role-play and D &D, and sometimes it's writing. Avengers and Marvel is the only thing that stays constant. And while my mind may be inconsistent as hell, never doubt these 3 things; I feel terrible for not posting, I want this piece to be the best it can be, I want to finish this goddamn fanfic and be happy with it.**

 **Now, this chapter is short because the next one is pretty large. They were originally going to be one chapter but the second part ended up being super in depth and detailed so now they are two.**

 **Let's spend some time with the team, shall we?**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 ** _Chapter 13 - Meddling with Matters_**

Steve stared at the redhead in front of him as she innocently sipped at her soup. He liked to believe that he knew Natasha fairly well. After working with her for almost a year and then going through the whole Hydra experience with her, he wanted to believe that he had a good read on her but he knew it was wishful thinking on his part.

The redheaded spy had sat in front of him and chatted back and forth with the others, clearly catching the questioning looks he was sending her but brushing them off with a smirk. Steve could tell that she'd done something. She would have spoken to him by now if she hadn't.

His suspicions had just been a niggling thought to begin with, sprouted from the look Laura gave her when they sat down. But now that their food had arrived and he was 100% certain that Romanoff was up to something.

The first glance had been so quick that he wouldn't have caught it if he hadn't been paying close attention to her. He slowly made his way through his lunch as he watched the spy covertly, noticing how her stares at the table behind him became gradually more noticeably. At one point, even he chanced a look at Bucky's table. Apart from the disheartening lack of food in front of his friend, the pair seemed to be quietly getting along.

At least they weren't yelling at each other but they weren't exactly talking. Steve turned back towards his plate with a deep frown on his face. Their argument last night didn't seem to be affecting them today which Steve reasoned to be a good sign. He felt bad for eavesdropping on them but enhanced hearing made it difficult not to.

What he'd overheard left him concerned and stressed about both of them. Sure, their fight hadn't been explosive but it had been grating and probably left both of them feel a bit raw and exposed. So, their current behaviour was surprising and inherently a bit suspicious. Suspicion which drew his gaze back to the spy in front of him. She stared at him through a mask of blank amusement, sipping at her coffee. Natasha raised an eyebrow at his accusing stare.

"What have you done?" He tried to soften the accusation but it still came out fairly harsh. He did, however, manage to keep the volume down, not wanting to disturb everyone's conversations.

Nat shrugged effortlessly. "I haven't done anything." Her façade of blank amusement didn't budge as she put her cup down. "You're being paranoid, Steve."

Steve huffed indignantly. "Am I, now?" His brow raised, challenging her quick dismissal of him. "Then mind explaining to me, why only yesterday Buck could hardly speak to her without her snapping at him but after shopping with you, she's now perfectly friendly?" His little rant gradually drew the attention of the rest of the table, all other conversations simmering away in favour of listening in.

"Not a clue, Rogers" Nat answered her false amusement fading a bit. The others getting involved was going to make it even harder to change topic.

"Have to admit, I was kinda wondering the same thing" Tony commented slouching in his seat, eyes lazily scanning the redhead before flicking to Clint and gauging his reaction. The Archer just stabbed multiple bits of his pasta and shoved it into his mouth, almost as if he wasn't paying attention. Tony was now beginning to wonder if this was a set up.

"Well…" Pepper spoke up cautiously, her attention moving to Nat as 3 sets of eyes turned to her. Natasha didn't look at her, instead shutting her eyes for a second before reaching for her coffee. So, Pep assumed that she could continue. "...we may have had a small talk." Steve groaned. he could only imagine what a "small talk" between Natasha and X had been like and no outcome was good. "But we only wanted to make sure she was on the same page as us" Pepper tried to lessen Steve obvious distress but she had to admit that it had sounded better when Nat had said it. Judging from Tony's raised eyebrows, she'd absolutely butchered it.

"You threatened her?" Clint questioned slightly. He had known that Nat wanted to keep an eye on the girl but he hadn't expected her to go this far.

"Of course not. Don't be ridiculous" Nat defended herself, rolling her eyes at her former partner.

"Ridiculous?! you mean ridiculous like threatening a civilian that we only just met a few days ago?" Steve accused, struggling to keep his tone calm.

"a bit of a stretch for the term "civilian", don't you think?" Cap sent Tony a sharp look for his comment which the billionaire shrugged off.

Natasha ignored Stark "I didn't threaten her, Rogers. I just wanted to check that she knew where she stood when it came to Barnes"

Steve searched her face for a second trying to find the lie in it but found nothing. She was being honest, at least she appeared to be and Steve couldn't see a reason to lie about something as small as this especially after being busted. Slowly but surely, Steve leaned back into his chair.

Seeing that Cap was backing off, Natasha discreetly breathed out her tension and relaxed back into her own seat, leaving the table in a suspended silence. "...and?" Tony pushed staring at the spy expectantly.

Nat gave him an unamused stare "and what?".

Tony rolled his eyes so violently that he made the effort to flop back into his chair. Despite the dramatic display, it was Clint who answered. "I think what boy genius is trying to say is you can't just leave it at that" The archer interpreted, grunting slightly as he moved to lie down on the sofa.

"Especially after making such a big deal out of it" Tony picked up where Clint left off, having recovered from his moment of speechlessness. "Come on, sharing is caring"

Nat's eyes rolled softly at the hopeful look Tony was sending her. If she kept giving into the man-child's demands, she was sure he'd start thinking he could boss her around. But Nat reasoned that she'd fix that when the problem arose. "Fine"

Tony's lips split into a grin before crossing his legs and leaned his head on his hand, looking very smug and dramatic. A sharp kick from under the table put a stop to his attics.

He rubbed his sore shin, levelling an accusing look at a glaring Pepper Potts as Natasha started to explain. "At first I thought she was feigning ignorance to try and avoid the conversation but I was wrong." Natasha's green eyes moved away from the couple and onto Steve, who watching her with intrigue. "She doesn't know what she means to Bucky".

Steve frowned but it was Clint who snorted. "Hell! do we even know?" He questioned staring up at the ceiling with a smile.

"Not the details but she's his blast from the past. You serious saying that she doesn't get that?" Tony thought Laura was many things, an idiot wasn't one of them.

"No, she got that part pretty easily, she didn't realise that he cares about her. Acted like it was completely out of the question when I first brought it up" Natasha explained taking a sip of her now cold coffee.

"Wait, hold up...Cares? Really?" Tony squinted at the redheaded spy. He trusted her judgement but Barnes didn't really seem capable of caring about anybody. The guy was pretty emotionless.

Nat glared at him but Steve spoke up instead "Of course he does, Tony. You may not see it...but he has to. He wouldn't have told me about his dream if he didn't". Steve paused mid-sentence, debating whether or not to get into another argument with Tony over this but decided against it. Bucky already wasn't having the best of days, no need to make it worse.

"She doesn't think he should" Pep joined in Nat's explanation, putting the point that she'd found most interesting forward. She knew a number of people who reacted similarly when accepting compassion, she was currently eating lunch with most of them.

"Why not?" Steve frowned, not really understanding. Bucky didn't show those kinds of emotions often and when he did it was fleeting. So, it made no sense to him to shove those feelings away.

"Something along the lines of him remembering a past her and being a completely different person now" Natasha could understand her reasoning behind it, people changed. People changed almost constantly and nobody knew that more than the team. Almost every mission altered them in some way.

Clint sat up slightly to look at Natasha as she said this, realising just how similar Laura's words were to Nat's reality/past. The two probably had a lot in common. He chewed the inside of his cheek in thought before glancing at the other table to observe the woman who shared a name with his wife but paused, eyes going wide. "Uh guys?"

Tony shrugged at Nat's explanation "I guess that make sense. Plus, little miss switchblade isn't the most-"

"Hey, guys!" Clint persisted, eyes still fixed to Bucky and X's table. The conversation faded quickly as all eyes turned to the lounging Avenger. "Did we tell them that they could come and go as they pleased?" Clint questioned, wondering if they knew something that he didn't.

A couple of the seats scraped against the wooden floor as they all turned to stare at the table in the corner which was now unoccupied, except for two empty glasses and a quarter of a sandwich.

* * *

 _ **AN** **:**_ **Sorry about yet another cliffhanger but that's just the way my creativity** **rolls. What did you think of the team's talk? Especially Steve, Is he in character? If I remember correctly that was what halted my progress to begin with.**

 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please Fav, Follow and Review!**

 **Feedback will help me sort through the 50,0000 plot plans I have scattered everywhere.**

 **See you next week!**


	14. Chapter 14: Caught Blue Handed

_**AN** **:**_ **Hey! I'm back again! Another week, another chapter! And it's a pretty lengthy one as well! Lucky you!**

 **Quick shout out for neforgesebla on Youtube. They do short marvel music videos and stuff. The poetry ones are fantastic for sparking creativity, most of this chapter was written listening to them. **

**Anyway Let's talk this chapter. The title isn't 100% accurate but I couldn't resist. You guys are getting a huge dose of Laura and Bucky with this one and a detailed look into how the two are thinking.**

 **Enjoy :)**

* * *

 _ **Chapter 14 - Caught Blue Handed**_

This wasn't going as smoothly as Laura had hoped. She could feel her own nerves stirring uncomfortably within her as she slowly browsed her way through clothing racks, Barnes following her every step of the way. It's was unnerving to have him acting like a guard dog but that wasn't the main issue. No, the main issue was the tension rolling off him. It came in waves, growing stronger when she moved and easing when she stopped. She could tell he was 100% on guard, pinpointing exits, analysing every person who entered the shop.

She wished that she could state that these actions were a complete shock to her. That she could never in a million years imagine him reacting this way. Truth be told, this behaviour wasn't unexpected or out of place for the man she once knew. But the man she'd once known was more machine than man, Winter calculated his environment constantly. Oh yes, she was very used to the Winter Solder acting this way but not this tense and never stressed out like he was now.

The phone in Bucky's coat pocket pinged once again, causing him to take it out and read the new text. "Steve wants to know when we'll head back" Bucky summarised his text in a monotone voice and Laura rolled her eyes subtly. The Captain was a good man but he didn't half fret over his friend. They had been traversing the city streets when the first text had arrived, followed stiffly by the second, third, fourth and fifth text.

Laura was convinced at this point that someone was continually talking the man out of coming and checking on them. She sighed "Tell him 'If they want to head back to the tower then we'll meet them there'". She waited patiently as Barnes very slowly texted her reply, adverting her eyes from him and examining the shop to put less pressure on him.

She had chosen a mid-range clothing shop, not too cheap but also not too expensive. They didn't really need to be escorted round by an arrogant posh person who was certain that they knew what they would want and 'X' was pretty sure that Stark would faint if they came back with anything that cost less than $20.

Bucky had only just sent his text when the response came through. He sighed "Tony must have hijacked Steve's phone, he wants to know if we want a lift". He could feel her eyes returning to him but he didn't meet them, too busy checking the main door and anybody who had entered while he was busy texting.

He wasn't even particularly sure what he was looking for. Guns, knives and ear pieces obviously but all those things could be concealed easily so what else? Anybody staring at them? Some had looked their way but had adverted their gaze the moment they caught him staring. Which was a normal reaction, or was it?

Laura's sardonic snort pulled him from those thoughts. "No thanks" There was dark humour laced into her reply as she toyed with the sleeve of a coat on the rack in front of her. "…knowing Stark, he'll have boobytrapped it in some way." She snorted again, causing a cautious smile to pull at his lips. "with bright yellow dresses or needles". The humour snapped at the end of her sentence and Bucky frowned as that word became tainted with emotions that he couldn't name. A small pit of dread formed in his stomach as he watched her move around the rows of hangers and clothes.

His mind slipped back to the argument yesterday and the way she had lashed out at Stark. The others probably saw it as a natural escalation but he knew differently. That rage was the same kind that had been locked behind her eyes in his memory, the same that she seemed to hide below her surface. Like a concealed weapon, ready to give someone the biggest and last surprise of their life. From what little he had seen he'd equate it to a bonfire or inferno but she seemed to have a good handle on it.

Yet, Tony had sparked it. The genius seemed to have a habit of riling people up but this was different. He hadn't just annoyed her, he'd angered her with something he'd said or done. Pinpointing exactly what the idiot had done wrong would be difficult but could this be Buck's answer?

Needles. He didn't like what that suggested, he didn't like it one bit.

He would even go as far to say that he hoped he was wrong but if he was right then he'd back her up. He was certain most of the team would, purely on principle alone. They'd have to avoid the genius billionaire afterwards but that was why they were there, wasn't it? 'Extra time away from the tower' was how Laura had worded it but what if what she really meant 'time away from Stark'.

He ripped himself away from those his internal dilemma as Laura sneezed suddenly, He muttered a quick 'bless you' before noticing that she had moved a little too far away from him while he'd been caught up in his head. He cleared the space swiftly, eyes scanning the shop quickly. Had he missed something while he was daydreaming? Who didn't he recognise from before? Was someone watching them? The shop was pretty big, could someone be hiding just out of his sight?

Laura rubbed at her irritated nose, trying to rub away the scent that was assaulting it and the smile that was playing with her lips. It amused her greatly. Even here, on edge and stressed out of his mind and the fool still "blesses her" for sneezing.

She managed to school her features as he returned to her side. It quickly became very easy to hide her amusement, watching it dissolve as she felt his fingertips ghost around her elbow. Her eyes snapped to his face, observing his frantic eyes and clenching jaw muscles. He probably wasn't even aware that he'd almost grabbed her arm, he was too far gone for that.

She was no longer dealing with stress or tension, this was panic. She mentally kicked herself for moving away from him while he was so clearly lost in thought. Her own eyes quickly scanned their environment, knowing full well that they were safe but his panic was making her stressed and she couldn't be 100% certain anymore. While it was a hindrance, it was also a good excuse. She could fool herself into believing that she wasn't searching for threats. No, she was searching for the source of the odour blocking her nose up.

It should be easy enough, it was a smell she knew quite well. Blue ink. It was bitter and thick, clogging up her senses. The exact type they put into security ink tags. Her eyes swept towards the changing rooms, a smirk stretching across her face as her stress melted away. She knew they were safe, it was stupid to think otherwise. The worst thing in that shop was a complete amateur.

Calmly she manoeuvred her arm away from Bucky's grasp and instead softly laid her hand over his. The feeling of her hand touching his skin got his attention, dissecting eyes zeroed in on her face. Questions like 'Why is she getting my attention?' and 'Has she seen something I haven't?' were rushing through his head but they were quickly silenced by the amusement in her eyes.

He was about to question her but it died in his throat as she reached up to whisper in his ear. "Someone's shoplifting" He had to lean down a tiny bit to hear her properly but when he did he frowned deeply.

The fact that he hadn't seen anybody shoplifting entered his mind briefly but it was massively overshadowed by the deep confusion born from her clear amusement over someone committing a crime. "Where?" He questioned, looking around the place once more.

"Changing rooms is my best bet" Laura stated but it was just a guess. The moment the tag had activated, the stench had attacked her senses leaving her unable to discern it's original. The changing rooms made the most sense to her, if it had activated on the shop floor then they'd be able to see the commotion.

Bucky kept his eyes glued to the archway that lead to the changing area, still confused as to how 'X' knew this was happening but trusting her judgement. He watched people come and go, analysing every inch of them. Less than a minute later, he spotted a suspect leaving. The young woman seemed calm enough, passing over the clothes she had tried on to the shop assistant to be placed on the rack, hoisting her stupidly large handbag onto her shoulder, walking towards the exit. But everything about her body language screamed guilty. "That's her".

Laura followed his eyes to the culprit, examining the woman carefully. She looked to be earlier to mid-twenties, light honey brown hair, manicured eyebrows and nails, nicely dressed and designer handbag. 'X' paid close attention to her hands and fingers noticing how they were clean with no trace of blue staining. Either Barnes had the wrong girl or this thief was in for one hell of a shock. Laura personally preferred the second option, it amused her more.

"Probably has no idea it's gone off in her bag" She'd feel bad for the thief but the woman clearly didn't need to steal. Judging a book by it cover, the stupid girl probably knew nothing of real hardship and was probably doing this for some sick thrill.

He stared curiously at her, searching her features for answers to the questions floating around his head. "How did you know?"

Laura went to answer but stopped herself. Blue ink was practically odourless to normal people but If she remembered correctly Barnes still had enhanced senses. Nowhere near as enhanced as hers but still better than average. She tilted her head slightly, watching him curiously. "Can't you smell it?"

Bucky blinked at her. Smell it? He looked at her sceptically but still took a deep breath through his nose. However, all doubt left his mind as his nose caught a whiff of some odd odour. It was faint, very faint but it was there. Was that what she was talking about? How on earth had she noticed that?

Her smile tugged at her lips as she watched his nose twitched at the scent, brows pulling together in concentration, eyelids blinking in confusion. It took these observations for her to remember that he had yet to step out of her personal space, leaving them standing a little less than a foot away from each other. It wasn't purely his doing, he'd had to shift closer to her to allow her to whisper to him and her hand still softly grasping his wasn't helping.

She took the initiative, moving to the side and examining another jacket as an excuse. Her façade of self-satisfied amusement remained in place as she spoke "Should we do something about that?"

The loss of skin contact was what dragged Bucky away from the unpleasant odour but he didn't have much time to think about it as she posed her question. He watched her motion towards the shoplifter who was getting close to the exit. They wouldn't reach the woman before she made the door but they could easily chase her down.

That thought caused him to pause. He'd been ready to grab Laura and escape a few minutes ago, now he was prepared to go chasing after a thief? When had that happened? He decided to answer her before he got lost down that rabbit hole "The security guards have it covered" He had spotted them before, standing ready at the door.

Laura noticed them, her smirk returning properly as she realised that a shop like this probably had CCTV in the changing rooms. Amateur. That was what Laura thought of this woman, sloppy amateur who was in over her head. Dipping her toes into a lifestyle that she doesn't even understand. So, she took a certain amount of pleasure in watching her being escorted away in tears, ignoring the tiny part of herself that felt pity for the crying girl.

Bucky missed the shoplifters arrest, having already sipping into his mind as he watched the green-eyed girl. She'd done it. She'd stopped him from pulling them from that shop. Stopped him from falling further into that mindset that he hated so much. She'd pulled him away from the panic, the pressure, the paranoia and he was pretty sure that she hadn't even realised it. He went from believing that everything around him was turning against him to focusing in on the most mundane problem. A shoplifter of all things.

He smiled to himself at the absurdity of it as Laura went back to browsing the different coats in the men's department. He knew he couldn't even begin to explain what she'd done, he could hardly understand it himself so instead he put forward a question that he hoped she would explain to him. "How did you catch that?"

She glanced at him briefly before concentrating on the item of clothing in front of her. It was a nice coat, she guessed. Grey, warm, somewhat tailored, something her father would never be caught dead in. But was it Barnes? Would it fit him? Both physically and style-wise? "Easily". She replied to him simply as she searched for a size that might fit him. There was no danger in discussing such things.

He frowned softly at her as she gently took a coat off the rack and stare at it as if trying to suss it out. Her words or word wasn't a dismissal, not like the other times he had asked questions but then again this wasn't about their past. You couldn't get more present than literally a few minutes ago. "How?" He pushed carefully. She was still absolutely impossible to read but her reply had felt like a challenge to him, seeing how hard he would work for an explanation.

Laura barely heard him over the questions running through her head. Would a medium fit him? She was pretty sure that medium fit Logan but that didn't mean it would fit Barnes, did it? She glanced at the man, trying to judge his size. He was as broad in the chest as her father's but Logan was a bit shorter than Winter.

Sighing, she pulled it off the hanger. She wasn't even sure it would fit her old man and she'd drive herself mad if she continued. It was as she patiently waited for Barnes to get the hint and take off Rogers's coat that she remembered that he had said something. "Same way, I know that's Captain Rogers's coat you're wearing"

Buck paused in the removal of his coat at her response. Slowly he continued, glancing between her waiting hand and the coat itself. She was right, of course. Steve had handed it to him in the elevator, stating that it had gotten colder since his last journey out of the tower. He'd accepted it and then completely forgotten about the interaction until Laura brought it up.

He was seconds away from pushing his question once more when she beat him to speaking. "My senses are stronger than most. Sight, touch, taste and smell, all heightened. It can be pretty handy when it wants to be" She explained pensively, taking the borrowed coat from the metal armed man before handing him the new one to try on. The topic of her senses was safe as far as she was concerned. "When it activated, the smell hit me. Blue ink has a very recognisable edge to it."

He shrugged on the coat, noting that while it was pretty sturdy and ridged, it was still fairly comfortable. It was not too thick, thick enough to warm him not bake him which was good for now. His hoodie and the shops AC was doing a fine job at that. It wasn't as padded as Steve's coat and it was grey whereas Steve's was a dark blue but he didn't hate it. What could he say, it was a coat, it felt like it would keep out the cold well enough. He focused back onto the topic of discussion as he buttoned the grey coat. "And the coat?" he could understand the ink but how did she know that he was wearing Steve's coat?

Laura evaluated him as he did up the last black button. The fit was okay, she guessed. It was a bit too big around the waist but the smaller size would be way too tight on his shoulders. In the end, she reckoned it was better to buy something with wriggle room than something that would restrict movement. Her eyes quickly scanned the rack again as she answered him. "It has the Captain's scent on it..." She paused for a second, noticing that the coat also came in black. She grabbed a medium in that colour as well before turning back to him "What do you think?"

It took Bucky a second to realise what she was talking about. He examined the coat on his frame. He hadn't looked in a mirror but he doubted it would change much. It was a coat, it did its job. The only issue he was having was he didn't really need it but he stopped himself from saying this. She had just pointed out that he was wearing Steve's and that thought got him thinking. He hadn't told her he needed anything and yet here they were, shopping in the men's section for coats. He blinked a few times in sudden understanding, his worries over her avoiding Stark calmed. This wasn't for her, it was for him?

She watched him battle with his thought, taking note of how his brow creased in concentration. Overall, he was reacting to making a decision better than he could have been. Sure, he had yet to make a decision or even talk but at least he wasn't panicking. It was a good sign "It can always be returned later if you change your mind and we can also take a black one, you might end up liking it more" She encouraged, draping the black coat over her arm before grabbing the hanger of the one he was wearing. "Plus, it's not like Stark can't afford it, right?" She smiled as she waited for him to take off the coat. Now they just had to find a good leather jacket.

Bucky took in what she said, chuckling lightly at her joke, before just generally taking in her. He was half convinced that the smiling woman in front of him and the one he'd fought with yesterday were completely different people. Both confused the hell out of him but he could live with this kind of confusion. It was, dare he say, nice. He took her prompt and removed the grey coat, his mind going back to the previous topic that he'd been side-tracked from. He didn't know if she had done so purposely but he wasn't about to drop it so easily. He had her talking and he wanted it to last at least a little while longer. "His scent?" Bucky asked handing her the coat so she could put it back onto the hanger. He expected her to give him Steve's one back but she didn't.

Once she had the new black and grey coats draped over one arm and the Captain's coat held securely in the other, Laura let her eyes hunt the shop for any signs of leather. They had to have at least one leather jacket on sale, all half-decent shops did. She did, however, spare Barnes a glance at his question. He didn't say much, she noted, pushing away the fondness that came with it. She decided to wander a bit and hope that a leather jacket would jump out at her as she began her explanation. "Exactly what it sounds like. Everybody has one and they are unique to each individual. It gets altered by fragrances and environments but it mostly remains consistent".

Following her as she went back to browsing, Bucky thought about what that could mean. She said everyone had a scent and that it was unique to each person. Almost like a personal barcode, he guessed. But one only she could detect. He could see how such an ability could be useful in the long run. He remembered doubting 'X' in his memory/dream, being uncertain if she would be useful but he could see now that his uninformed mindset had him blinded. With the abilities he knew of, Laura could be a valuable ally in the field or a terrifying opponent. But he wasn't all that concerned about that right now as he watched the woman search each rack, frowning at the clothing as if she could intimidate it into revealing the location of whatever she was looking for. A smirk pulled at his lips "Go on then, what's Steve's scent smell like?"

Her eyebrow raised at the tone of his voice, looking back at him with a smile of her own. She had really only just noticed how he was calmer now. Had talking about her senses really distracted him this much? It couldn't have but Laura couldn't think of anything else they had done that would make him this relaxed. She put those questions away for another time, choosing to reply before his anxiety returned and ruined his mood.

It took her a second to organise her thoughts and find the right words. "It's strong, stronger than most but that's probably because the man works out so damn much." She smirked and continued to look for the elusive leather jacket. She'd caught both of their scents that morning after they went to the gym or whatever. She was actually pretty sure that it had woken her up. "Clean, neat and very uniform. Overpowers anything that tries to alter it. He wears cologne but not often and its old-fashioned cologne, nothing flowery and sweet, sharp and musky." The coat itself faintly smelled of it but it wasn't applied recently otherwise it would be a hell of a lot stronger. She knew it was old-fashioned simply by the fact that she'd smelt similar fragrances on Logan the few times the mutant had bothered to put some on.

She paused for a second, remembering something she had vaguely picked up on at the tower. "He… he must write or something because he smells faintly of graphite but it is pretty faint so it might just be an occasional thing" She looked back at Barnes briefly, seeing that the smirk had dropped and in its place, was a curious look directed at her. "Apart from that, it's just the basics really; Soap, shampoo, body wash, deodorant, fabric softener". She stopped her list as her eyes looked past Bucky's large frame and landed, finally, on what she'd been searching for.

She squeezed past him and Bucky watched her go, blinking for a second before he snapped out of it and went after her as she purposely strode toward a rack of leather jackets. Most of what she'd said had made sense weirdly enough but what had really stunned him was how she had actually done a good job at describing Steve. Not just his scent, but the man himself. The graphite had really floored him though. There was no way she would know that Steve could draw, he didn't openly advertise his talents and she'd only known him two days.

Her sense of smell had to be insanely enhanced. His was strong but he had never picked up on such things. He was even beginning to believe that if pushed, she would be able to name what type of shampoo Steve used. He was distracted from his amazement when Laura held a black leather jacket out for him to try on. He continued to wonder as he pulled it on, if she could get all that about Steve just from his scent then what could she gather from his?

'X' assessed how he looked with a critical eye. It looked good but something felt off about it and she couldn't figure out what. It irritated her greatly because it looked nice on him, it fit well from what she could see and black was always a safe option. But something just wasn't right. She paused, realising that the collar was folded down instead of standing up which wasn't that big a deal.

Except that when her eyes connect with the space between the offending collar and his long brown hair, she became overly aware of the issue. He looked like Remy. Which wasn't a particularly bad thing per say and the issue could easily be ignored by simply focusing on him as a whole instead of that single spot. But Bucky so wasn't Remy. The Cajun's face was longer and thinner. Bucky's eyes were softer. They just weren't the same person at all, it was almost funny how extremely different the two were.

Almost, being the crucial word because while it was amusing, the resemblance did leave her a little perturbed and she didn't know why. Instead of dwelling the feeling she decided to simply solve the problem, she leaned up and adjusted the collar. Once it was fixed the uneasiness still lingered but was nowhere near as bad as before.

Bucky had been too busy putting two and two together, and realising that he'd worn Steve's leather jacket to the Black Out club, that when Laura reached up to mess with the jacket he'd jolted a bit before settling. It was a little unnerving, knowing that she could discern so much with such little information. Then the question came of what would she do with the info she could gather. He tilted his head slightly as he watched her mess the jacket zip and pockets. Buy him clothes apparently. "And what about mine?" his curiosity overruled his anxiety at this point.

'X' rushed to secure her façade when her amusement dropped out from underneath her. So much for being a safe topic. She knew that there was only one way to answer that question and that any lie or half-truth would be insufficient and weak. He'd be able to tell that she was holding something back and that could lead to his good mood abandoning him like hers just had. She couldn't do that to him, not after deciding to help him. She'd just have to bit the bullet and hope this road wasn't going to turn into a shear drop. She adverted her eye slightly, pretending to examine the jacket again. "That depends, do you want to know how it is now or how is used to be?"

The tone of her voice changed, Bucky noticed. Despite her attempt to offset it, her query was softer and somewhat toneless. Almost as if she would break something if she spoke any harder. Break what exactly? Bucky wasn't sure but he did know his answer the moment she'd asked. He was seconds away from replying, aiming for a similar tone to preserve whatever amount of transparency she was allowing when she cut in abruptly. "Do you like the jacket?" Buck was glad that she had specified what she was talking about because the sudden undisguised change of topic left him with whiplash and enough disbelief and amusement to make him snort.

She watched him rein in his outburst with a smirk. She knew it was a long shot but you can't blame her for trying. It had been worth it just to break the tension her little slip up had created. "Yes" His voice echoed the small smile that still graced his features.

Bucky watched her thoughtfully as she turned back to the rack, picked up the jacket's hanger and reached into the mass of leather jackets to fish out something else. "Then we'll take it and a brown one as well" She considered the dark brown leather in her hands and Bucky wondered if she was intentionally avoiding looking at him or if she was truly that invested in buying him clothes. He could understand her hesitation, he shared it to a degree. She was giving him the option to cross the line between present and past, and even though it seemed harmless, Bucky didn't know if he would be able to drop it so easily after getting a taste of the answers he craved. But he had to take that chance. "Is both an option?"

Her carefully placed smile became sardonic in nature. How easy it would be act like he was still talking about the jackets? How easy it would be to make a joke out of it? But she'd just be stalling, doubting that she could avoid getting into it at this stage. She softened her smile before meeting his gaze and nodding in reply. She barely needed to think about his scent before she knew how she wanted to word it. "Warm and musty. Metallic. The main source of it would shift, between your arm, the environment, guns, knives, blood. Your scent always smelt of gunpowder, leather, sweat and stagnant water whenever they defrosted you and it would linger for a few days after the fact". She eyes became unfocused as her memories washed over her like a cool breeze. Winter's scent had always been an easy one to sense. Everyone else in the compound were doctors or agents, all crisp and clean, The Soldier was anything but. That wasn't to say that he wasn't allowed to wash because he was and did but his scent always clung to him. Like a brand, marking him as different.

Her gaze slowly slide from his, drifting to the space just past his shoulder. Misty vision was a dead giveaway that she had tumbled into thoughts of the past. It was a familiar sight to Bucky, having spied the same look many times in the mirror and through Steve's eyes. The only problem was he didn't know if he should be worried or not. She was there, back when they used to know each other, back when he was the Winter Soldier; a machine, a weapon. The things he had done, the people he had hurt. Yet, she just remained the same, staring off into space. Bucky braced for the hit to his gut, waited for fear or anger to appear in her bright green eyes but it never did. Seconds felt like hours but it never showed. Instead the mist began to fade gradually, revealing her hardened, unreadable eyes. "And now?" He prompted, wanting to scrape the last of that perilous cloud away from her gaze and restore the survivor he had come to scarcely comprehend in the last two days.

Barnes's question brought her back to the present, focusing in on his steely grey gaze. His voice had been firm, reminding her of the past him. The person he used to be but wasn't anymore. The man in front of her wasn't the same as the one she had fought beside all those years ago. They shared a body and a face but Barnes wasn't Winter, simple as that. He was more. She allowed a real smiled to tug faintly at her lips. "It's all still there. Scents don't change too much… but it's faded. No more stagnant water and trace amounts of gunpowder. You haven't fired a gun recently but you have held one at least" She fiddled with the hanger in her hands, her faint smile quickly morphing into a confident smirk.

Now that had Laura had returned to reality, Bucky let his gut settle, taking note of the emotions that swirled deep in his stomach. He didn't know how to feel about what she'd said. On one hand, his scent was stained by what he'd been through and what he'd done. His past still clung to him; tainting his mind, his dreams and now his scent. But on the other hand, she'd said that it was faded, hopefully disappearing for good. It felt like wishful thinking to entertain the idea that someday he'd be rid of it, that one day in the future his scent would reflect the smells of the tower and not his nightmarish past. The thought, while more than a little odd, sparked a strange kind of optimism in him.

Either way he was grateful that she had willing indulged his curiosity and had been forth-right about it. The moment of companionable peace was interrupted by his stomach loudly protesting the lack of food in it. Apparently, emotions weren't the only thing disrupting his gut, hunger had been clawing at him since they'd left the cafe. Any hope that maybe Laura had missed the loud grumble was quickly dropped as his brain pointed out the topic they had just been talking about. Enhanced senses be damned. "Not hungry, my ass" Her tone was more sly than irate but Bucky had the sense not to counter her. Laura shook her head lightly, still smiling at the fool's stubbornness before motioning to the leather jacket he was still wearing. "Come on, let's pay so we can get out of here. Hopefully before you waste away and before the Captain sends out a search party".

Buck chuckled light-heartedly, quickly removing the jacket and handed it over to her to put back on its hanger. He was looking forward to eating and despite their impromptu trip being surprisingly pleasant, Bucky was looking forward to going back to the tower and away from the chaos that was New York shops.

* * *

 _ **AN** **:**_ **SO how was that? Laura's opened up a bit and Bucky got some new clothes. What's you thoughts on some of the things that happened this chapter? Tell me, people!**

 **Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Please Fav, Follow and Review!**

 **Feedback will hopefully remind me that Gambit's name is Remy, not Remi. Stupid spelling mistakes!**

 **See you next week!**


	15. Chapter 15: Not Just Anything

**AN: Hey guys, I took a fortnight off because I went on holiday for a week and then my perfectionism wouldn't let me post last week. But I'm here now.**

 **Soooo, last chapter was nice, right? Laura and Bucky getting along, and all that. Well, I hope nobody had bets on it lasting. Recovery is a tricky thing, it's like taking two steps forward and one step back.**

 **Enjoy :)**

* * *

 _ **Chapter 15: Not Just Anything**_

 _The eerie silence was only disturbed by the careful chatter of its handler and the other unfamiliar men but the Asset wasn't affected by their comradery. Usually their laughter would be the precursor to pain, it meant that it had done something wrong and that it would receive punishment. But in this room, it meant something different._

 _The Asset had been in this room before. It didn't know when or why but it knew that this was a room for fighting and combat. Clear observation windows stood at the farthest end. Thick, dark, metal bars sectioned off the area and provided a safe retreat for HYDRA personal. The glaring overhead lights would clink on their chains occasionally, and the hard-concrete floor made the entire room feel 10 times colder than it already was._

 _The Asset could already feel it's blood pumping faster through its veins as it prepared for whatever order would be thrown at it. Snapping to attention, it watched as one of the barred doors opened, Agent Kaprov and two other men walked in. The Asset vaguely registered how the contented smirk fell from Kaprov's face once his back was turned to the other men and that it's handler was walking towards it._

 _But it's mind was already assessing its opponent that had been escorted in by the other two men. It wasn't used to having opponents this small, estimating that the child in front of it was between the age of 7-9 years old. She only came up to his mid-torso in height and it bet it could wrap a hand around her neck easily. But she was far more than a child. Her cold stoic green eyes told him as much, as they stared straight ahead framed by strands of long black hair._

 _The Asset's eyes remained locked on the child as Agent Kaprov gave him his orders. "Поднимите ее и убедитесь, что она остается там. Понял, Солдат? (Get her down and make sure she stays there. Understood, Soldier?)" His tone was low, his back turned toward the others in the room, making it clear that he wanted to keep this conversation between them._

 _"_ _Да сэр (Yes, sir)" It's handler's behaviour was to be expected and definitely not questioned, for many reasons but also because the secretive actions were being mirrored on the other side of the room. One hand held the girl's shoulder, keeping her rooted to the spot while another carefully cupped her ear as orders were whispered into it._

 _The Asset quickly found those small green eyes trained on it, sparks of something running through the green orbs like electricity. As if she was a machine being booted up. Only now, did the Asset recognise the slightly Asian aspects to her features. Its handler moved away from it, moving back towards the door the group had come from and the other two men soon followed._

 _But the soldier paid no attention to them. it had its orders, take the girl down. He'd been given no specific, meaning it could use as much force as it needed. It had its target, the child in front of him didn't seem like much of a threat but it knew better than to underestimate any opponent. To be any match for the Asset she'd have to be fast, agile and deadly. The soldier would have to take that into account. The barred door slammed shut, leaving the two weapons in waiting for the command to begin._

 _The Asset never took its eyes off the child, watching as she coiled into a fighting stance and mirrored her. "Fight" It wasn't even aware which of the handlers had given the order, too busy gauging its opponent's reaction as The Asset sidestepped to start circling her. But it was quickly pushed into defence as the child instead raced forward and started to attack._

 _With a grunt, she threw punch after punch, many were feints but some did connect. She was stronger than she looked, it noted feeling the bruising impacts of her small fists._

 _It lashed out with his arm but the child was faster, ducking under it and sending a high kick into its chin. The Asset grimaced at the taste of blood, confirming that it had bitten its tongue._

 _The damage was trivial and barely effected its performance, as it's arm lashed out just in time to grab onto her retreating leg. She practically weighed nothing as it hurled her small form across the room._

 _She slammed into the re-enforced windows, the sound echoing loudly throughout the room. The reverberations seemed vaguely familiar to the Soldier but it paid the thought very little attention as it staked towards the girl's prone form._

 _She was sluggish in getting up it noticed as it's boot collided with her ribcage. She rolled onto her back and Asset did the one thing it should never do._

 _It hesitated. Something about the look in her eyes made it pause._

 _It didn't even know why, he couldn't even place what that emotion was. It wasn't fear like he had come to expect in his victim's eyes. It was something more…determined._

 _These thoughts didn't last long, being quickly erased from its head as twin blades came within inches of his neck._

 _The Asset evaded the attack just in time, stepping back to re-evaluate, now fully aware that it's opponent was armed._

 _The girl took the opportunity to stand, a thin line of blood running down her chin, blades retracting into her fist._

 _Growling like an animal, the child pounced putting the soldier on the defence once more. Only this time she was more of a threat than before._

 _She brought her speed and strength like before but now came with the added advantage of razor sharp knives that appeared to pop into existence on command. A kick to the head would fall short and then there would suddenly be an extra foot of metal to avoid. She'd feint a punch to its thigh and there would suddenly be two deep cuts, leaking crimson blood._

 _The Asset found itself having to rely on instincts to avoid injury, blocking with its metal arm to avoid losing the other. She was more than deadly. She was trying to kill it._

 _After being steadily pushed back into the centre of the room, the Soldier struck out, knowing that it had to regain control. It aimed for her chest, expecting it to be a sure hit._

 _But it hit thin air as the child rolled through its legs. The Asset had very little to react as a thin blade lodge into its hip and it suddenly realised that the thing was climbing onto his back._

 _It propelled itself backward, hearing the growling child grunt as it slammed her into the metal bars._

 _Unfortunately, the little creature held tight as another thin blade plunged into just below its shoulder, narrowly scraping his lung._

 _The Asset looked toward the windows just in time to see her reeling her arm back, seconds away from sending two blades into the back of his neck._

 _The yell of feral anger died in her throat as the metal arm latched onto her upper arm and swiftly heaved her over its shoulder and into the hard, concrete floor. The Asset felt the blade being roughly ripped from between its ribs and recognised that the blood loss would eventually begin to slow it down._

 _It had to finish its mission if it was to receive repairs._

 _It didn't give the girl time to process her sudden change in position, keeping a tight hold on her arm, pinning her shoulder to the floor with its boot and violently jerking her arm back. There was a jarring pop as her shoulder dislocated followed by an audible snapping as her bone broken through the skin of her upper arm._

 _A shriek, a mixture of wild rage and agony, echoed around the room as she screamed into the cold unforgiving ground._

Bucky's eyes snapped open, panting wildly with searching eyes as the echoes of her scream mixed with the last of his and he was left in the silence of his room. Reacting to the daylight streaming through the windows, Buck shielded his eyes against the assault before settling. His eyes landing on the spot Steve usually sat but he found it empty which staggered him a bit. It wasn't that he wanted the man there, his friend just seemed to have a habit of hearing his nightmares and judging by the twisted mess of his sheets and the rough burn of his throat, it hadn't been pleasant.

As if sensing his puzzlement, Jarvis spoke up making him jump "Good morning, Sargent Barnes. Captain Rogers instructed me to inform you that the team was called out during his gym session with Miss Romanoff but he didn't wish to wake you. He hopes to return before lunch. Are you okay, sir?"

Bucky sat up fully, rolling the muscles in his back as he groaned "What time is it?" his gruff voice questioned as he purposely ignored the computers query.

"The time is 12:23 exactly" The AI answered dutifully, causing him to frown. He'd slept in which was rare but he reasoned that he had been tired from shopping.

The thought brought the images from his nightmare racing to the front. Memory, his mind corrected as his stomach attempted to turn on him.

That girl…was 'X', she had to be. No matter how much he wanted to deny it, his brain kept finding undeniable similarities.

Her claws sealed her identity in his mind. But she'd been so young and yet, already trained.

Already skilled enough to go up against the Winter Soldier. He may have gotten the upper hand in the end but she still did a fair amount of damage. His head flared with pain as he recalled the sickening snap of her arm and the cry that followed.

His eyes flew open at a dizzying speed, having no recollection of closing them, as he recalled a tense conversation from two days ago. Anger seethed into every muscle as he ripped his feet free from his sheets.

He grabbed his hoodie off the back of his desk chair as he grilled the AI "Is Laura up? Where is she?" he gritted his teeth in, what he was 99% sure was, righteous anger. Towards who? He wasn't certain but he'd know soon enough.

He pulled the hoodie on as he received the response. "Yes, sir. Miss Kinney is currently in the floor's kitchen area. Are you okay, sir? You seem distressed". Bucky barely even heard the computer's concern, already heading for the door. He yanked it open, not caring as it jerked violently against its hinges.

* * *

Laura had been having a peaceful morning. She had woken up later than she usually did, finding the floor in a blissful silence. She could faintly hear Barnes still sleeping in his room and judging from the waft of sweat that hit her upon entering the corridor, she could guess that the Captain was sticking to his morning routine and hitting the gym. "Good Morning, Miss Kinney" Jarvis greeted as she strolled into the kitchenette.

"Good morning" Laura replied pleasantly, still not overly comfortable with the AI's presence. She flicked on the coffee machine before hopping up onto the counter next to it. It appeared she had some time to herself for a bit, at least until Bucky woke up. So, she sat, basking in the quiet as the aroma of fresh coffee filled the air.

She guessed Bucky deserved a good lie in, he did do well yesterday. The experience had been surprisingly nice but god, it had been tiring! Being overwhelmed like that had put her on edge and that was before their lift.

Having received no reply to his text, Stark took that as their confirmation, apparently. Laura was pretty sure he would have sent a car even if they had replied saying no. Luckily for her it wasn't boobytrapped with sharp needles or filled with hideous dresses.

Unfortunately, it was carrying an irritating billionaire with an ego the size of Manhattan. To say the short ride back to the tower was exhausting and uncomfortable was an understatement. But she dismissed those thoughts for now. She had a walk-in wardrobe successfully filled, 8 hours of sleep under her belt, a hot pot of coffee waiting to be poured and silence. It was turning out to be a great morning.

Laura had just taken the first sip of her drink when the Soldier's door was hurled open. She mentally redacted her previous thought, quickly setting her cup aside and bracing herself as Barnes came barrelling into the main living area connected to the kitchen. Eyes of contained rage zeroed in on her and Laura felt whatever she was going to say get stuck in her throat.

He was pissed, she noted and underline the observation as he made a beeline for her. "You didn't tell me. Why?" Bucky demanded, stopping short of reaching her, instead halting next to the island, giving her plenty of space. He wanted an answer but he didn't want to box her in and make her feel threated. Not after that nightmare.

Laura noticed his hesitation and breathed a silent sigh of relief before forcing her eyes to roll at his question. "You're gonna have to be more specific than that" She replied already moving to pass her old friend and heading towards the elevator. He was upset. Sweat clung to him, eyes tired, voice rough. All the signs pointed to a nightmare and Laura knew better than most that Bucky needed to cool down before he did anything else.

She didn't get very far as Bucky's fist slammed against the fridge unit, blocking her path. "You told me that we sparred, that I broke your arm…" The slightly shake to his words, made Laura's blood run cold because she could guess what he'd remember and knew exactly what this was about. "But you didn't tell me…" His voice caught in his throat. He should have cooled down first. The wound was too raw, too painful and it left him too open. It made talking about it so much more agonising. His eyes softened considerably, making her blood spark back to life and fill her with anger. She knew exactly what he was going to say. "You were just a kid".

And that was it, Bucky watched the shutters descend, watched as she closed herself off from him. But still her eyes burned. "I wasn't just anything, Barnes." She fumed, glaring holes into his skull with green fire.

Somewhere deep in his gut he knew he had crossed a line. He'd rushed in like a bull in a china shop and smashed through whatever good will that had been formed between them. "If you walked into that fight believing that then maybe that's why you performed so poorly". Bucky watched her eyes flicker with conflicting unknown emotions. He struggled to name them but the look quickly vanished from his prying gaze seconds before the enraged emerald eyes suddenly weren't there anymore.

Bucky blinked as Laura ducked under his arm and speedily stormed out of the kitchenette, past the couches and towards the elevator, her rage barely contained. "Where are you going?" Fear ran through him like lightening. Had he pushed her too far? Was she going to leave? He may have been a bit harsh but how was he meant to act when he remembers something like that.

Laura's pace didn't falter as she hit the elevator button a little harder than need be. A sigh of pure frustration rushed passed her lips before the doors dinged open. "Upstairs" She replied shortly, knowing that if she turned around to face him they'd both end up regretting it.

Bucky couldn't describe the relief that melted over him at her answer, mostly because it drained away so quickly as he watched her disappear into the elevator. His gut twisted with guilt and anxiety. Buck knew this was the worst way to leave the conversation but if he pushed her anymore then he hated to think what she'd do. He glanced behind him briefly, his nose only now catching the bitter aroma of fresh coffee. His gut twisted again, his eyes landing on her still steaming cup, his body's way of telling him that he'd messed up big time. All he'd achieved was to make her mad, ruin whatever fragile friendship they had and make himself feel like the bad guy.

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 **AN: So what do you think? Bucky seemed pretty shook up by his dream/nightmare/memory. What do you think of Laura's reaction? Review! For the love of god!**

 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please Fav, Follow and Review!**

 **Feedback will keep the ghouls from your doors tomorrow night! Meaning more leftover candy for you! Mhahahahaha!**

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